MSWM
by JustAnotherNumber
Summary: Samantha Evans, meister, has a guy as a weapon, a crappy apartment, and hardly anything she can call "family" soon after she's enrolled in MSWM, Mirage School for Weapons and Meisters. Suddenly, all those problems seem small when her newly found friends are put in danger, all because the leader of a mystery organization is targeting her.
1. Chapter 1: Max Solstice

**Hey guys! I would explain more about this chapter but all i can do is give a brief summary or you'll get bored.**

**_!IMPORTANT!_Okay, so for the beginning I used ideas from Soul Eater NOT! like with the stairs and Maka showing up out of no where and then the sword and head thing (you'll read it later) and how Soul (or Max) just shows up out of no where also. So yeah. Boom.  
**

**I wanted to change it, but I wrote the beginning a long time before I even found out about . And then I would have to re-make the first, like, ten pages. I think. More like twenty. BUT ANYWAYS they dont belong to me! They belong to the rightful owner! _!__IMPORTANT!_**

**So basically i started all over. The setting is pretty much the same but I changed a bunch of the characters and didn't include some (sorry, no Black*Star or Tsubaki, but a lot of the characters come up much later in the story).**

**You're probably bored already.**

**I have a lot more to say though, and if you're interested (I don't blame you if you're not, I would probably just start reading anyways) click on my pen name "JustAnotherNumber" at the top and maybe you'll be a little less confused. Maybe.**

**Please write a review for feed back and favorite or even follow the story (psh yeah right I doubt anyone would like my story _that_ much) if you like it; it really means a lot to me!**

* * *

I panted as I walked up the endless steps to my new school, Mirage School for Weapons and Misters; MSWM for short. I looked at the brochure one more time as sweat poured down my back. The city was almost literally a mirage, stuck right in the middle of a dessert.

_It says you need strong legs,_ I thought. _But this…this is endless._ I tilted my head up and found I was only halfway there. How far up was I? A mile? The stairs don't even have rails on the sides. If I fell I would defiantly die. I try not to think about that as I attempt to continue walking but only succeed in barely catching myself as I fall forward.

Just as I get up, a girl in pigtails runs by me at full speed. She stops and when I look more closely I see she's barely breaking a sweat. _She's just a skinny girl,_ I thought between pants, _so how can she run like that?_

"Don't worry," she said to me. "It's just a little bit more." She smiled and continued to run up the steps. The sound of her rapid footwork quickly faded away as I stood still, trying to control my breathing.

"Just a little bit more…" I said as I fell again from exhaustion yet again a while later. I had barely gotten another quarter mile. The sweltering sun and cloudless sky didn't really help.

Suddenly I was taken by a second wind out of rage. I stood up and flung up my head toward the sky as I yelled, "WHAT THE HECK DO THEY EXPECT OUT OF A TENTH GRADER?"

As I reached the top steps, I was glad I left so early because I was barely going to be on time. I let myself fall on the top step and panted as I stared up at the dry, orange sky. The sky always looked orange near the outskirts of the town since it was close to the outside of the magic surrounding the town. Unfortunately, it didn't help keep it any colder, or at least that's what it felt like right then.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a soda can with a note under it. I picked it up and it said "From: Margret (the girl with the pigtails)." I picked up the soda which was still cold, had a giant gulp, and then unfolded the note, where I found it saying "Turn around."

_Turn around?_ I spun around and was awestruck. I found all of Mirage City sitting in front of me. The park, the basketball court, the library, and even my favorite place to watch over the city on the other side. It wasn't anymore. I stood there, frozen, until I realized I was late. Not a good way to start the year at a new school.

I arrived after washing my face, figuring I was already tardy. I walked in to silence with everyone staring at me. The teacher, a handsome man in glasses, said to me, "We were here waiting for you the whole time. Unfortunately, this is a class we cannot start without everyone present." I walked to my seat with my head down, feeling my cheeks turn a rather dark shade of pink. It was the only empty one in the room. I was in-between a girl with pink hair and a guy playing with his pencil.

"Now that the whole class is here, let's review what this school is about." A hand raised in the air as he finished his sentence. "Yes?" He said hesitantly.

The hand belonged to a girl with big, curly hair. She looked like she had enough energy to jump on the walls if she wanted to on being called, but she sounded calm as she spoke.

"'The school is a foundation for chosen weapons and misters to learn and help protect the world from evil doings.' I got that from the information booklet mailed to us when we were informed that we were summoned."

"Yes, that's it exactly." The teacher didn't look surprised. _In fact,_ I thought._ He looks a little annoyed._ I wonder what she could have done to get him like this. "Now, we summon both weapons and misters instead of training them separately and then letting them choose later because the headmaster thinks that it's better if they get to know each other at a younger age.

"Now, can anyone tell me how your partner is chosen?" The girl with the big hair put her hand up again, and I noticed the teacher looked depressed by this. But then the girl in front of me with the pink hair raised her hand. "Ah, Linda. Go ahead."

"You choose them. By yourself." Her answer was short, and I think she just answered to keep the other one from lecturing about how you should base it on personalities or something. I was sure that was it when she cast an annoyed glance glance toward the other girl.

However, her saying it didn't make me feel any better. _You choose them._ It repeated in my mind. No pressure.

I tried not to panic. The people I met before now were at my last school, and it wasn't the safest one out there. In the end, most people I met hated my guts and told me that you couldn't go through life doing what you thought was the right thing. Of course, I couldn't just stand there while people bullied someone half their size, so I ended up standing up for them and most of the time having a souvenir to go home with, like a black eye.

Home wasn't much better. My father is out all night drinking and going to clubs with _very_ friendly waitresses. He'd come home only when all the bars are closed, and sometimes he wouldn't even be home by the time I went to school. He hasn't even been home for the past two weeks. He always hated me, and sometimes he would go as far to say that it was my fault my mom died four years ago.

My point is (before I go into back-story mode) that I've never exactly been accepted, and I was looking forward to getting away from home for a while. I hear the dorms they have are great, and you get to live in one with your partner until you leave the school when you graduate and for summer. You can leave of course, but the place they give you is from then on yours for the rest of the school year. I plan on using it, given my home environment.

"Do we have to pick a girl if we're a girl?" someone in the back asked. This thought had never occurred to me. I thought that if we shared a room it had to be a same sex thing, so I was surprised when the teacher said, "No."

"We trust all students that come enough that they won't be letting any 'unnecessary' things get in their way. Even if they do, it takes hard work to be in this school and the teachers will notice." There was a pause before he said, "Any more questions?"

No one answered him and he went on. "There are name tags up on my desk labeled 'weapon' and 'mister'. I think you can catch on to what I'm saying. Everyone come on up." Everyone else began to walk toward the front, the big haired girl getting there first and eagerly putting on a tag that said 'weapon', while I, on the other hand, sat there at my desk for a while longer as thoughts went through my head about being able to have a partner the opposite gender. In the end I decided it would be best if I picked a girl for my partner, anyways.

It shouldn't have been so hard to decide; I mean, living with a guy? Alone? That's ridiculous! But even at a young age I got along with guys better, plus the girls in this room (except Linda maybe) just seem like the type of people to gossip all the time and aren't really dedicated to anything. You know what I mean? Every school has _those_ girls.

I was still sitting in my chair when a girl with a tag labeled "weapon" stood next to me and said, "Aren't you going to get up?" I replied with a quiet "yeah," and then she introduced herself.

"My name's Anna, but since fifth grade when there was another Anna I've been called by my middle name, too. So call me Anna Kate."

"Hi, Anna Kate. I'm Samantha." She offered me her hand and I stood up. _She might be a good weapon for me,_ I thought as I picked up the last mister tag at the desk. However, when I turned around Anna Kate was gone. I sighed as I realized I probably wasn't good enough for her. She was pretty, with a nice body, and she was kind, too; popular with the guys and girls. That's when I picked up a scratch of conversation going on between two of the boys.

"Hey, why don't we be partners?" One of them said. Weapon or mister I didn't yet know, since I didn't dare turn around. "We've known each other for a long time."

"Nah, I think it would be fun to have a girl as a partner." _He's a great friend. _I recognized that voice from somewhere. "Hey, what about her?"

I turned around to make sure they didn't mean me and saw the one with a mister tag on pointing towards Anna Kate. Both offended and relieved, I turn around to look again for a partner.

_Well, I won't get Anna Kate,_ I thought as I watched all the girls, weapons and misters, practically mobbing her. I found my gaze drifting over to the much smaller and (surprisingly) more composed groups of boys scattered around the room. I shook my head.

"I can't think like that. I'm getting a girl partner." Two minutes later, I was sitting back down in my seat, looking at my shoes and swinging my feet back and forth. _Well, just sitting here isn't getting anywhere. I need to go talk to someone._ That's when I noticed the group of girls wasn't making a scene anymore, but someone else was.

The two boys from earlier were talking to Anna Kate. Since the classroom was rather large, I couldn't hear the conversation. Upon getting closer, though, I found out that I could listen to the conversation from about five yards away, which was only a little bit farther than the other girls were. I looked at the two boys again and found that they looked menacing given enough thought. One was tall and had a little facial hair, and the other was smaller and more built. Put together, I could see why even the boys were quietly watching.

"Come on, I'm only sixteen. I just started a little late, that's all." The tall one was the mister. "So why don't we be partners? It would be fun for me, and I know you would be entertained. So just give me a chance." He gave Anna Kate a creepy grin and I realized that perverts could never come to young.

My brain knew better, but I ignored it as my protective instincts kicked in, more powerful than usual. This was the girl that accepted me, even though she may not have gotten to know me. She gave me a chance, which wasn't something I had ever experienced at Blackwater High. I got up in his face and said, "Who do you think you are? You're not exactly making her want to be your partner by the way you're behaving."

"You…" he said pointed at me. "You're that brat from school." He sounded really pissed.

Recognition dawned on my face. "You're the one that always picked on that Adam guy."

"Apparently," he said, cracking his knuckles. "You had a really messed up head to stand in-between me and my lunch money, and an even more messed up one to stand between me and my weapon."

"You acted all high and mighty but I never saw you get the courage to actually fight one-on-one with me." I knew I'd gone too far when his face turned a deep mixture of red and purple and he started talking way louder than before.

"Oh yeah? Then grab a weapon right now and we'll fight mister-to-mister." His friend suddenly began to glow until he was nothing but an outline, and then that outline began to change shape until it was roughly the shape of a sword. The mister I now recognized as Ty grabbed hold of his friend's handle and the regular color came back to the form. It was a rather small sword with a head popping out of one side.

"I can transform everything but my head," he bragged. Some people even oohed and aahed. I didn't know it was that hard.

"Go ahead," Ty said. "Choose your weapon."

My first thought was Anna Kate, but when I turned around she had backed up to join with the rest of the crowd. The terror on her face when I looked at her pierced into my eyes and my heart sank to my stomach. Who else would even think of joining me now?

"Guess everyone else is smart enough not to pick a fight with me." Ty said. "You must be really stupid." He began to raise his sword and all hope evaded me. _I should have listened to you. I'm sorry,_ I apologized to my common logic, and I swear I heard it answer back, _Damn right._ So of course I thought already thought I was bonkers when I heard a voice say, "I'll do it."

I turned around as I spark of hope lit up in me. It was a boy with white, sort of skateboard hair that stood out. He must have been determined not to be seen that I hadn't even noticed before now. He had a worn jacket on along with a pair of jeans that looked like hand-me-downs with holes in it everywhere. I thought _Maybe I won't die,_ when Ty began to laugh.

"That scrawny kid over there? I bet you can't even transform a single leg." He continued to laugh and actual tears came out of his eyes until he started to transform.

This light was much brighter and the transformation was much quicker. It hurt to look at it, but it didn't last long as he turned into a scythe. The handle was simple, looking only like a pole, and the blade and pole met at a "t". The blade itself was a switching triangle pattern of black and red. It flipped towards me and I caught it one-handed. It was surprisingly light as I thought, _Finally, a reason to hit him. I should have just done it before, anyways._

_Couldn't agree more, _a voice answered back.

I was confused. _Are you my common logic again? I said I was sorry._

_ What? No you idiot, I'm the scythe._ I realized he was right. It was the same voice as the boy that agreed to fight with me.

_How does that work? I've never talked with any other weapon._

_ It's only when the weapon's and mister's souls are on the same wavelength, like partners are after a while._ I looked up at Ty and his weapon and saw them staring at us. I realized we were just standing there, not doing anything, at least nothing that they could see. Finally I said, "You should attack first. This wasn't my idea."

The head of the friend looked at Ty and he looked back, both kind of scared. Hesitantly they rushed forward, making it obvious they were aiming for the middle. I dodged easily and while I was near the ground I swung my leg around, tripping them.

Before they fell on me I moved to the left and backed up. I've never been in a fight like this and I wasn't feeling especially bold. The people behind me made room and I realized something. What the heck was the teacher doing at a time like this? I glanced over but before I could look I heard the boy think, _Now's not the time! They're aiming below!_

I snapped back and barley stopped them from cutting off one of my feet by putting the end of the weapon on the ground. I didn't meet much resistance and as I sent them flying to the other end of the room. I wondered if it was the weapons strength, then I remembered.

_Oh yeah, he's listening._

_ I don't mind._

Before Ty could get up I used the length of the scythe and put the weapon barely an inch away from Ty's neck. The sword wasn't long enough to be a threat, and even if it was he wouldn't dare move. Both the sword and Ty's face were sweating and they were obviously scared. I decided that was enough and it was like the scythe kid read my mind (well, he kind of did) and turned back into a human, hands in his jacket's pockets.

"Samantha Evans and Max Solstice," the teacher's voice called behind us. I was Samantha, so his name must be Max. "Come with me." My heart sank yet again as Max and I walked through the door Mr. Stitch was holding open for us.

* * *

**What do you think? Too unrealistic? Too dramatic (well, that's not possible in a fanfiction)? Let me know below!**

**Don't forget that if you liked it as much as I think you didn't then follow and favorite!**


	2. Chapter 2: Partners

**Hey guys!**

**I hope you like this chapter and please review what you think about it; your feedback is appreciated!**

**More info on this story is on my author page. My pen name is "JustAnotherNumber".**

**So in the last chapter I said that the author's page wasn't about me but at least i didn't stuff it with pointless information and put in little enough so that you actually might consider reading it. But I just wanted to say you're welcome to PM me! And review, and favorite, and follow. (Don't forget those last three; they're essential.)**

**Thanks for reading; it means a lot to me! :3**

* * *

We were sitting in his office. It was cluttered with multiple papers that didn't look even slightly organized and multiple pictures of animals and their organs were tacked on the walls. I was sitting in a chair with Max to my left, looking completely at ease, while I was freaking out on the inside. I was tardy and got into a fight, both on the first day and in the first hour. Depending on how strict this school was, it could mean I would get kicked out of school.

I was not looking forward to going back home and facing my dad, so you can imagine how I was sitting there, fully expecting a scolding but really not wanting it, and then he says, "That was some great fighting out there."

I opened my eyes I then realized had been closed and seriously consider I might be going deaf. Still not fully sure about what he said, I realized something.

"So you were watching the whole time?" My brain's gears worked rapidly to filter in the information.

"Naturally. It was good because it turns out you two make a great pair."

The gears stop. "Wait…what?"

"I strongly suggest you think over becoming partners."

The gears are moving slowly now. "But…I was going to get a girl partner."

"Yes, I can see how you might want that. However, I seriously doubt another girl would work together as well as you two did just now."

"I just got lucky. And he was powerful, I didn't really have to do anything."

"You see, if a weapon is too strong for the mister, it would be hard to control. And if it's too weak the weapon won't do any damage. Plus, Max wasn't the one that tripped the big sixteen year-old."

I looked over at Max. He hadn't said anything since we got here. He met my eye for a moment and then he looked back at Mr. Stitch.

"We could also hear each other's thoughts."

Mr. Stitch didn't look surprised. "I was wondering how you made that last save." I remembered Max telling me he was attacking from below. "So it's like you two are already partners." He seemed glad by this fact, but I was ready to slow down. Apparently the hesitation showed on my face, because he continued, "These are the kind of chance encounters we hope to have at MSWM."

I looked at Max again. "I'm in if you're in," he said.

I let out yet another sigh. "I'll do it."

* * *

"I can't believe I'm doing this," I said as I entered the door to our apartment. It was, in short, a very crappy apartment. It wasn't even at the school itself-it was close to the basketball courts, which were only two blocks away from my supposed "home". Other than that, the kitchen was old and the metal was rusting, in some rooms the paint was peeling, and the windows are stuck shut. I could name other things (couch has holes, creaky floor) but the worst was probably the fact that I was living with a fifteen year old boy.

It's not that I don't like Max; it's just that it's a little awkward for me, being the same age and all.

And another thing about the apartment; partners with girl and girl get a really fancy, big house all to their self with maids and cooks, and boys live in houses on the good side of town with people to check up on them and clean every once in a while.

So how the heck did we end up in an apartment?

Mr. Stitch said it was because they ran out of houses so they had to improvise because they can't turn down any students. I guess I deserve it since I couldn't actually pay to get in. There is one upside, and that is we don't have to give the apartment to anyone else, so I actually own this place and I won't have to go back home for summer.

I was in my room putting up some posters for color after getting my own mattress from home (I didn't want Max to see my house so I brought a dolly) when I wondered what Max will do. Does he have a bad home situation like me, or does he have two happy, rich parents? The jeans said otherwise, but he might just be rebelling or something. The only clothes I really have are my old school's uniform, so I end up going to school in a white shirt with sleeves that go halfway down the arm and a plaid green tie and plaid green shorts every day. Max, of course, wearing his zipped-up black and yellow jacket along with worn jeans.

There were no school activities yet, like the assignments you're supposed to get every weekend, so all day I was reading and decorating. I was staring out the window of my room when my stomach grumbled. I went to the kitchen and realized there was nothing there. Let's see…I have…ten bucks. Well, that's not enough to feed two people. Then I remembered the daily allowance the school gives to students while they're living on their own. I wondered how they can afford me since I have no money to pay back, but I went downstairs and asked if there was any mail for room 219. There were none for me (no surprise) but there was one for Max. I thanked him and went upstairs, leaving Max's envelope on the coffee table in front of the couch I've been trying to sew up, and sat down at the kitchen table.

Inside there was sixty dollars-sixty dollars!-and a letter explaining that we got this money to start off and then we got fifteen dollars each day. I was about to leave but then a voice said, "Where are you going?"

I recognized it to be Max's voice and I turned around, grateful he wasn't one of those boys that wandered around in their underpants. He had similar jeans on, but instead of the jacket he had a white tee-shirt with a black design on it and his hair was still messy. I tried not to look at his hard biceps as I answered back.

"We have no food and I'm hungry, so I'm using the allowance to get something to eat. There's a letter for you on the coffee table." He turned around and left without a goodbye, so I took that as a signal to leave.

It was a good thing I was familiar with this place, because I knew how to avoid all the bars that were already open at 3 pm. It was walking back with my bags that I made a mistake.

I didn't want to get mugged of all my food, so I went past some closed clubs that my dad goes to after he's done with the bars. I found him sleeping next to a dumpster and heard him call out my mom's name.

"Marie," he repeated over and over again. At first it startled me because it sounded like he was talking to me, but it got softer and softer until it was barely a mumble. I don't know how long I stood there; maybe two minutes or just thirty seconds, but I realized I shouldn't be standing around in a place like this, so I walked faster than usual to the place I already thought of as home.

When I got back I made soup thinking I should get used to the stove, but I wasn't hungry so I just pushed it around on my plate.

"I thought you were hungry," Max said as he swallowed yet another spoon full of chicken noodle.

"I lost my appetite."

"Listen, I'm trying not to sound like a mom, but you need to eat something. You look like you haven't had a decent meal in days."

He wasn't exactly wrong. I didn't come from a very wealthy family, and ever since my mom died my dad took to drinking all our money away. I don't know how we still have enough, but I bet he's made some deals he can't keep. I've even suspected he's been killed because of making the wrong loan with the wrong guy, considering he hasn't been home for at least two weeks. Now I know where he spends all his time.

"If it makes you happy." I tried to swallow some of the broth but found it extremely hard to go down my throat, like dry swallowing a pill. After just a few more, I was feeling sick.

"I don't think I can eat anymore." I got up, not even putting away my almost-full bowl, and rushed to my room. I pulled up a trash can in case I threw up and lied down on my bed. I was sweating but I was freezing and I wondered how this could get me in such a state of stress to make me sick. I don't think it was actually seeing my dad that caused this, though that didn't help. It was that he said "Marie" over and over.

Whenever I'm like this, I always have night terrors, which is basically when I scream bloody murder and wake up terrified. My dad hasn't been at the house for a while, so I would just wake up shaking and crying my eyes out. I really hope that doesn't happen. I don't think we have any neighbors since almost no one else lives on the seventh floor (each floor is small and only has about thirty rooms) but I don't want to weird out Max.

I tried to take naps but I would wake up biting my tongue every hour to keep from screaming. A few times I even woke up to puke. Only sleep has ever gotten me better when I'm like this, but the symptoms weren't going anywhere. I woke up with my tongue bleeding at ten and figured maybe some food would help. It was really hard to get up and a real challenge to walk but after tripping three times and hitting my knee on the table with a satisfying _clunk, _I couldn't get up no matter how hard I tried. I couldn't talk and I wondered how long I would be like this until Max rushed in. The crash didn't sound like it was that big to me, but maybe my hearing is getting screwed up, too. He set me down and from what I could tell of my now-fuzzy vision he asked me a question and then looked at me expectantly, but talking or not all I heard was a distant buzz. I shook my head, partially to myself and partially to him; for me I was totally giving up the idea of eating and for him—I was trying to tell him that I had no clue what he just said

He seemed to understand because he didn't talk anymore. He put my arm over his shoulders, and one time I almost fell unconscious but Max kept me from hitting my head on the hard floor.

I could barely see now and I wished I would stop shivering as he put me down in my bed. I was so tired I didn't even think about the night terrors as I instantly fell asleep.

* * *

**If you're reading this it's because you thought my story was good enough to go to the next chapter AND read it through, so thanks!**

**Don't forget to review!**


	3. Chapter 3: Opening Up

**Thanks for getting this far in the story! A lot of writing this is for me but I want you to enjoy it, too!**

**I hope you're entertained for the next five minutes!**

* * *

I was walking along the street and I heard someone call out "Marie!" in a happy voice. I turned to find my dad, and he ran over and hugged me. "Marie, I can't believe it's you. I still can't forgive Samantha for taking away your life."

"But I didn't kill mom." It wasn't my voice that came out, but the more mature and singsong voice of my mom.

"Of course you did. Just look behind you." I turned around facing a full-size mirror, but instead of my beautiful mother she had a face completely red and scarred on one side going sideways. Only half of her nose was there and there was a gaping hole where one of her eyes should have been. I kept looking at my mother's oddly calm face and my mother's body started decaying right in front of my eyes. The flesh rotted and fell off until I was a skeleton, then I saw images of mother's coffin being put into the grave and read the tombstone, which said "Here lies Marie Evans. Cause of death; Samantha Evans."

"No…no…no, no, NO! IT WASN'T MY FAULT!" I collapsed on the ground to cry, but I was a skeleton so no tears came out, which just made me cry harder. Somehow my face still felt wet, though.

"Samantha…" It was dim at first but then it got louder. "Samantha!" someone yelled in my ear. I woke up screaming about how it wasn't my fault with tears running down my face. I covered my mouth with my hand as I realized it was Max but soundless tears still poured down my cheeks onto the pillow. I flipped away; I don't want anyone to see me like this, let alone someone I'm making a first impression on.

"Are you okay?"

That's when I lost it. I bawled like a baby but still refused for him to see my face. I pulled the covers over my head.

"Sorry, stupid question." He just sat there at the end of my bed until I calmed down. "You know, I could tell you've been holding in since you got back. I don't think it's healthy to do that." He was obviously suggesting I tell him about it, but I just sat there trying not to freak out again.

He sighed. "Didn't think so." He got up but when he got to the doorway I couldn't help myself.

"Wait," I said. My voice was hoarse, probably from crying and screaming.

So I told him. He sat at the end of my bed patiently waiting for me to shut up while I sat there like an idiot and poured my heart out to him. I told him about everything; about my mom dying, about my dad drinking, about seeing him in the gutter, and how her name triggered this whole thing and I had them often, but I stumbled when I got to the tombstone in the dream. I didn't like talking about how she died, but I spit it out.

"She died because of me." There was silence. Most of me wanted to run out of the room right now, but a part of me was glad I was finally letting it all out, like Max said.

"How did she die?"

I didn't answer at first. "When my mom was still alive, we had more money than we did now, but not by much. We kept getting evicted, and one day I went all out at her because dad had just started drinking, and he wasn't as bad as he is now, but I was nine and I couldn't handle it anymore so I ran away. I was gone for a whole week and when I finally got back, I was a mess, but my mom wasn't there. She had gone to look for me and never come back. I've even heard rumors that she committed suicide; I don't think she cared about me that much, but maybe it was my dad. At that same time I thought it was my fault, and I believed the rumors because I know they're true.

I wiped away a stray tear. "I don't blame you if you don't want to be my partner anymore." I looked down at my lap and realized I probably looked like a mess now, too.

I really wasn't expecting him to hug me, but he did.

"How can I just leave you after you've told me all that? I never met my parents, and I grew up at an orphanage, but it was a nice one. I can't imagine what it would be like to have known both your parents and watch one die and one fall apart."

At first I just sat there. I might have cried but I think my eyes were all dried out. Then I hugged him back.

"I've never cried that much in my life." He pulled away. I didn't want him to because he was warm, but by now he'd probably had enough of me.

"You should rest now." That was when I realized just how tired I was; crying was a lot of work. I nodded and collapsed into my pillow, falling into a content sleep.

* * *

That Monday morning I had asked if there was a letter for room 219 again for the allowance and along with it another letter for Max. I put it on the coffee table where the other one still sat, unopened.

I was walking up the stairs with Max less exhausted than last Monday, all because it was cloudy and there was a sprinkle so it was a lot cooler. I had also insisted on bringing four bottles of water in case I just about die of thirst again. Still, I was getting really tired of these stairs.

"This is freaking endless. And the stairs are getting slippery."

"Do you mind if I transform so you can carry me up?"

"No, you idiot. If you turn into a scythe I'm going to chuck you over the edge."

"Touchy." I was just in a bad mood because I _really_ didn't want a see-through shirt the whole day. My bra is white, too, so that would be bad. As if on cue the wind picks up and the rain starts going down harder. Luckily we were almost there, about the length of a block, and right when we get inside there's thunder.

"Crap," I say under my breath. My thin shirt is sticking to me. Some girls are giggling and some boys are even blushing, which was flattering and disturbing at the same time; either way I blushed. I thanked God a million times that you can't see through my bra, but I don't know how long that will last. "You go, I'll be there soon," I say as I race into the nearest girl's bathroom.

I do my best to wring out my hair and dry out my shirt, but it refuses to become anything but transparent. I wonder how I could get to my gym locker to get my shirt from there but then remember I forgot to bring my shirt today. Boo.

"Samantha?" I turn around, recognizing the voice as Anna Kate's.

"Hi." I said ruefully. "I'm having a bad hair day."

"Yeah, I saw you come in, so I got my jacket from gym." She held up a worn looking orange jacket.

"Oh my gosh, you're my savior." I slipped the jacket on. It was a little big, but since when have I been picky?

"Don't thank me yet," she said. "I can fix your hair right up. What girl doesn't come to school with a transportable blow drier?" She held up a small, hot pink hair drier.

"That would be most people, but I'm not complaining. The soaked look really doesn't work for me."

Anna Kate had wanted to completely style my hair, but I refused. I was never one for fashion, just one of the reasons I don't carry around a hair drier. That day I was late yet again, but this time Anna Kate was with me.

"May I ask why you were late this time?" Mr. Stitch said, tapping his desk.

Before Anna Kate could say anything embarrassing like "feminine emergency" I told him, "I got caught in the rain. Anna Kate just helped." Although my hair was dry, my feet were still dripping on the floor.

Mr. Stitch sighed. "Leave your shoes in the hall," he said.

* * *

Gym is the last period, and that day at gym was the first one where we actually got to do something. All the other ones were just getting everyone organized with lockers and things. Since this was a school for weapons and misters, they actually teach you how to fight, which made sense now that I think a about it; at first though, I thought that maybe the staff here was just crazy, letting kids fight one-on-one, or two-on-two I guess. Still, I liked it.

_ I think this is going to be my favorite class, _I thought. Other people were probably thinking the same thing.

"Now, not everything in fighting is offense," coach Zero said. "You also have to know how to block things. It becomes infinitely better when you can communicate with your partner without talking." Coach Zero stopped pacing. "You've had your partner for a week. How many of you can completely transform?"

Only three groups raised their hands. The rest looked up in amazement.

"Out of you three weapons, how many can communicate when transformed?" Us and one other pair raised their hands. The coach even clapped, so slow it was almost sarcastic. "Usually there isn't even one," he said. "This must be a good year for this school.

"You two, come down with your misters." I followed the two boys from the other group and Max. Some boys laughed when I got up, but I ignored them.

"Now I want you two to transform." Max and the other kid started to glow. Max is more like piercing silver while the other was less bright and more of a golden glow. _Like the two boys we fought last time, _I thought to myself. Max turned into his scythe and the other kid turned into a mace with long, rusty points that looked much too heavy for the mister. Then again, I never would've thought I could have picked up Max when he transformed at first.

"Now, I'm going to use you four as a demonstration." Coach Zero said. "Ready, and FIGHT!" He blew his whistle surprisingly loudly. I was confused.

I looked at him with an expression of a confused dog. "Wait, so we just-"

_He's attacking from the right!_

I blocked with the pole but wasn't prepared for the impact. It was much stronger than Ty and his weapon, and I was sent back ten feet. I got up quickly and started trying to attack, but he would always block. A while later I was sent backwards again.

My vision was blurry at first, but it slowly focused and I found him running right at me. I quickly got up and began to run, too.

_We're not strong enough!_ Max sounded scared.

_Just trust me for a second._

_ Hey, it would traumatize me if your head got cut off. _I almost sighed out loud.

_ Thanks for the support,_ I said sarcastically [A/N: Bet you couldn't have guessed that last part.]

I was almost close enough to swing, but I didn't. I let him swing and then I ducked under his legs and tripped him from behind with the end of the pole. The mace went flying and I once again put the scythe up to the mister's neck.

_That was tiring…,_ I thought, panting.

_ Yeah, I know._

_ You're not swinging _me_ around._

_ Well it's tiring to block all those attacks._

I hadn't thought about that before. It's not like I could exactly ask my dad about it. He is a weapon after all.

Before I could wonder if Max heard that, the coach asked the weapons to turn back. Then he started clapping, and some boys in the class whistled.

"That was some excellent fighting from both of you," Coach Zero said. "Samantha and Max gave an excellent example that the time when your opponent is most open is the very second after they attack." I'd never been praised like that before. I glanced at Max with an _I-told-you-so_ look on my face. He just shrugged. Anyone else would have thought he was bored, but I could tell he was enjoying the attention.

The coach went on to point out the good and bad spots, one of the bad ones being me not ready to fight at the beginning. At one point he got into a story of one of his best fights, and that was how class ended, with him describing (with _a lot_ of detail) about how he "conquered the mighty one". Of course he didn't tell us who this was.

The sound of the bell saved us all, and some people were mumbling about missing the bus because we were changing so late. Max was waiting for me at the exit of the school.

It was foggy on the way home, so you could only see about thirty feet in front of you. We were about halfway down when I heard the voices.

"This girl, this girl, do you know her?" The voice belonged to a man with an Italian accent, and he must be holding up a flier or something to show someone. I crept closer to get a look past the fog.

"What are you-" I mouthed for Max to shut up and he stopped talking.

"Not really," a frightened girl's voice said. I recognized it from somewhere. I could see their outlines… "But-"

"If you are not in close contact with her, I'm afraid I'll have to make it so you never saw me." The man picked up the girl by the collar of her shirt when I recognized her. She was the girl from my class with the big hair! And some guy with a fedora; what's up with that?

He was about to drop the girl over the edge when I shouted, "Hey!"

They both looked over in surprise and he said, "One more step and she falls to her death!" God, that accent was annoying.

"Transform now." I said to Max.

"But-"

"Just go!" I said in a rushed whisper. He began to glow.

The man said, "You asked for it!" and dropped the girl. I rushed forward and swung Max over the edge, still holding onto the handle.

I wasn't stupid and expected her to even consider touching the end of a sharp scythe, let alone hold onto it while I yanked it up-great way to cut off her fingers. So I said, rushed even for a thought, _Change back!_

He seemed to know what I was getting on to. _How will you hold us up? _

She's about to die and you ask this? I didn't answer and instead replied with, _DO IT NOW!_

I could feel his shocked silence as he transformed and grabbed onto the girl's hand. I grunted at the sudden weight of two people who were falling a second before. I was barely holding on, and as I heard the man's footsteps running away I thanked the Lord he wasn't still here to deal with us.

"Hey girl," I said, trying to get a solid hold on the steps and Max's foot. "What can you transform into?" I remembered the name tag on the first day saying "weapon". I grunted a little bit trying to get a good hold.

"I-I don't know, I've never transformed. But my mom is a nun chuck."

"Just envision yourself changing," Max said fast because he know I couldn't hold on much longer. She began to glow and turned into a full nun chuck, no feet or anything. "Put it under my thumb," I said to Max. He had to use a lot of effort to bend up and put it partially under my hand.

"Okay, now transform."

"Don't drop me," he mumbled as he turned into the surprisingly light form of a scythe. With a lot less weight on me, I put both weapons on the stairs and when Max transformed back he helped me up. Bushy Hair was going on and on about how happy she was that she turned into one on her first try. I interrupted her by saying, "My name's Samantha. What's yours?"

"Ann Marie, without an 'e' on Ann." She looked expectantly at Max, but he didn't say anything. I had physically winced at the sound of "Marie", but recovered quickly; I think he saw but ignored him and acted like nothing had happened.

"This is Max, my partner. He's not very social." He shot me a look.

"Then next time, actually say your name," I said only loud enough for him to hear. "So," I said, louder this time. "What was that all about? He said he was looking for someone, but who was it?"

She looked me up and down before saying excitedly, "He was looking for you."

* * *

**So if you really were entertained (or you think it sucked; preferably the first) write a comment below! Or follow, or favorite, or all. You know, whichever works.**

**But seriously, tell me what you think and thanks for reading; both mean a lot to me!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Chosen One

**AHH! Sorry for taking so long but I was on vacation and there was no internet. I'm at my Aunt's now and I'm finally getting the chance so, yeah. I'm doing it now.**

**Sorry for the short chapter, but if it goes on any longer it goes on for like twenty pages.**

**Remember to review! And save the world and cure cancer! But review first. It's the most important.**

* * *

"Wait, what? The guy with the fedora was looking for _me_?"

"Yep."

"Why?"

"He wouldn't say-something about 'the chosen one' or something."

"But _what_ about 'the chosen one'?" Max asked.

"I told you, I don't know." She seemed to like the attention. "He just kept saying it was very important and 'not to trifle' with him."

Chosen one? Not to trifle with? Since when did I audition for a movie? And more importantly, how was I actually good enough to get in?

"How was I chosen? Rock paper scissors?" I asked sarcastically. "I have no idea what they're talking about." I was always chosen last for doge ball, too.

"Well, I was more focused on not dying, but I think he said you're the chosen one's _daughter_. I think you need to ask family members about it."

Oh, well that narrows it down. Let's see, I have no grandparents, no mom, no aunts, no uncles, no cousins, no cousins-in-laws, no brothers, no sisters, and one alcoholic of a dad.

So basically, if it's not my dad, I'm screwed.

Even if it is him, I haven't seen him sober in the past two years so I have no idea how I'll even get him to focus long enough to understand what I'm saying.

"I'll see if I can ask him."

After taking Ann Marie home we got there and the untouched letters for Max were finally looked at. He picked up one off the top and then immediately threw it to the side.

"What did it say?"

"Just some stuff saying I'm officially not living in the orphanage anymore." I guess that answers the question about whether he was going to live here. Strangly, the idea of being here with him didn't really bother me anymore. He picked up the other envelope and said, "This one isn't mine."

"Yeah it is," I said, still trying to figure out how to ask my dad about all this. Without turning my head I replied with "Look at the address; Max Solstice."

"No, the address says Max Solstice and Samantha Evans."

"Why do they always have to put the guys first," I moaned. "Just see who it's addressed to."

He opened it and then said, "It's for you," as he reached it towards me.

"Really?" This is surprising. I haven't gotten anything sent to me since mom was alive. I opened it up and found a typed message from the police. Leaning away from Max so he couldn't read it, I started out slow and then read faster and faster as I became more scared. I read the last paragraph again to make sure that was what it said and then I ripped the paper into twos, then fours. I began to crumple it so it looked like a ball and then threw it in the fireplace. (For the inconvenience of living in an apartment from the staff at MSWM. They have freaking wizards or something.)

"Whoa, what are you doing?" Max gave me a surprised look.

I don't know why this bothered me so much. Maybe to find out about my mom. Tears formed in my eyes, and I wiped them away roughly. I've been crying way too much lately.

"Samantha, what's wrong?"

I finally looked up and into his eyes. They showed real concern, and it was hard to get emotions out of Max sometimes. _If anyone could understand,_ I decided, _it would be him._ I let out a shaky breath, looked away and then said, "I guess we're both orphans." I realized too late it sounded like I was enjoying the whole pathetic-girl act by the way I said it. Luckily I don't think he noticed.

"What do you mean?" The look on his face was obviously confused.

"My dad died. They found his body, right where I saw him, outside of Sailor's Delight. It was the same day, too." I continued looking down at my hands in my lap, knowing he would deny what I was about to say. "I should have called the ambulance or something."

He shook his head. "You really need to stop blaming yourself for everything. It's your dad's fault he fell apart, and now you're doing it, too." He put his hand under my chin and made me face him. A tear fell down my cheek, but I couldn't wipe it off as he said, "You need to move on. You're not the only one in on this. You think I have fun listening to your family issues?" That might have been going too far at one point, but since he knew basically everything about me, it wasn't. I pulled my head away and looked down again.

"I guess not. Sorry. I was just hoping to find out something about my mom, and now I have no idea why an Italian guy might be coming to kill me."

"Did you hear what I just said?" He put one hand on each side of my head and made me look at him again. "I'm. Right. Here."

I couldn't take it. Right there and then, I hugged him so fiercely he fell backwards on the couch. I literally cried on his shoulder until I thought I might die of dehydration. I'd never had a friend like Max, and I don't think Anna Kate would have been this close to me, even though Max was a boy. Then I just stayed there. It was really comfortable with Max's heat radiating onto me and a lot of work to cry for that long, so I fell asleep on top of him.

* * *

**Once again I'm sorry for the short chapter and the ending isn't that good, but I had to end it then or it would have taken forever for anything that even sounded like an ending. -.-**

**REVIEW!**


	5. Chapter 5: Sleeping, Singing, Feildtrips

**Hey guyzzz.**

**Yeah I only have like two faves for this story. :'(**

**FOREVER FREAKING FAILYER.**

**Jk I love writing stories. IDGAF**

**Yeah I have no clever way to tell you to review and rate and crap. SO JUST DO IT.**

**Just so you know it's not me at the bottom, it's my friend Kristina. I feel like I need to apologize now, I just know she's gonna say something weird...**

**How are you still reading this.**

**Read the story.**

* * *

"Oi…Samantha…" Something poked my head. I looked up sleepily. It's just Max. I lied my head back down. Warm.

That's when it all came crashing down.

I jumped up and got on the other end of the couch. I'd been completely on top of him, both of our legs somehow coming on the couch. It was dark outside. I looked at the clock; 3am. I've been asleep for eleven hours. Max sat up and stretched his back. "You fell asleep on me."

"And you let me?" I was blushing.

He shrugged. "You were warm." I remember thinking the same thing about him and it just made me blush more.

"Sorry for breaking down on you. Again."

"I don't mind. I sleep a lot anyways."

I stood up but had to catch myself on the coffee table.

"You okay?" he asked sleepily.

"Yeah, I guess I just jumped off you too fast…" I walked to my room and slipped into some worn jean shorts and an old worn shirt to match. I didn't feel like taking a shower today. Even if it was under that awkward situation, I had always liked being up before the sun. Sunrise was even my favorite time of the day, even though I usually slept past it. I spent about thirty minutes trying to write my essay due Friday without a computer but gave up and looked through the window. It looked really pretty with all the lights since my window was facing the good side of town. It reminded me of pictures of New York City me and my mom used to look at.

"One day we'll go there and have the time of our lives."

"Will Daddy come?" I was only seven and my dad wasn't drinking then.

"Mommy and Daddy are in a fight right now, but he says he can't anyways. He has to work." I didn't know it at the time, but they were actually planning a divorce—it never really happened, but it still hurt when I found out, like they didn't trust me enough to tell me these things. Thing is, they had to pay what most people think of as a casualty but would have been a blow for our family. They both thought it was the other person's fault. I'd found this out when my dad had been in a drunken rage one night about three years ago.

I had enough time to have finished my paper, but I just read a lot after that and stared at the ceiling and out the window, both from my bed.

I glanced over at my guitar sitting unused in the corner. The only reason I had actually brought it was because my mom had given it to me. I only knew the basic cords, but my mom had taught me a short, sort of lullaby song one time called Black Star by Avril Lavigne. I sang along as I played the cords.

_ Black star, black star_

_ Forever you will be_

_ A shining star, shining star be what_

_ Ever you can be_

_ A rock star, rock star_

_ Forever you will be_

_ A black star, black star, black star_

_ Black star, black star, black star_

I played the chords again without the words and let the last notes ring. I didn't know anything else since I learned it all from my mom. She wasn't very advanced, but she always wanted me to learn the guitar. I glanced at the clock; it was 6am. I put on my usual clothes for school and then gulped down some cereal. I was washing the bowl when Max asked, "Leaving already?" The school started at 8:30.

"Well, I wanted to watch the sunrise on the steps to the school. Plus I'm tired of being late every day." He grabbed his jacket off the couch and started putting it on.

"You're coming, too?"

"Why? Do you want me to stay?" He started walking out. "We're not exactly in a good part of town, and I don't want to find you dead at a corner one day." I silently agreed with him as I followed him through the silent apartments and down the elevator. The night guard was sleeping as we slipped by him.

Almost an hour later, we were three fourths of the way up the stairs to the school with our legs hanging off the edge. It was still dark, but the sky was slowly turning a light shade of blue. The lights were now on in about half the rooms in the buildings below us. I watched a few birds start to wake up and fly around, but couldn't hear them because they're so far below. Birds don't even fly this high. Somehow, the air seemed fresher right before sunrise than any other time of the day, and I felt unusually happy sitting there next to Max on the slightly damp stairs leading to the school.

"So do you play the guitar?" Max asked me. "I heard you playing, and your singing isn't that bad, either."

"You heard me sing?" I started blushing.

"Is that a problem?"

"Did you record it and/or will you use it to blackmail me in the future?"

"No and no," he said. "Though I should have." I shifted nervously. Only my mom had ever heard me sing that song before, and it was kind of weird that he was going to be the one other person. I must have left the door open.

"I never got very far into it. Did you ever play?"

"My roommate at the orphanage had a bass and he taught me some. I got pretty advanced, too. I could teach you some if you like, but I don't know how good at actually teaching it I would be."

I remembered how passionate my mom was about the guitar she was and smiled to myself. "That would be nice."

We sat in silence while the sun came into view. It was probably around 7:30 and it only took three minutes for the sun to rise, but I sat there until other people began walking up the steps to the school. It was probably almost 7:45, the time when they open the doors to let people in the school. We got up and walked into the empty school.

It was so much more different than when I'm the last person to come in. It was really nice with the light blue sky and not-yet-piercing sun coming in through the windows. I started walking toward my locker to make it look like I was doing something, but really I just wanted to look at the school some more while it was still empty. I was sitting on a bench making sure I had my permission slip for the mission trip today. Mr. Stitch had to sign it himself since I don't have any parents/guardians.

"Hi, Samantha!" I jumped since I was on the other side of the school where no one really went. It was Ann Marie. I let out a breath of relief.

"Ann Marie, don't _do_ that."

"Sorry." She began to look around the room, still standing there.

"Would you…like to sit down?"

"Oh, I'd love to! Thanks!"

"Um…you're welcome?" _She's a little strange._ "So, did you want to talk to me? Is it about yesterday?"

"Well…" She started playing with her thumbs nervously. "I was wondering…since you saved me, that maybe we could…be friends."

She wants to be friends? I didn't know what to say. I was friends with Anna Kate, but that was it. Plus it didn't look like Ann Marie was going to get any friends other than her partner any time soon.

I sighed. "Okay, okay, I guess we could…be friends." She knocked the breath out me in a strong hug. I wondered if this was what Max felt like when I hugged him last night. I started to blush thinking about it. _Stop, stop, stop it!_ I told myself. _I can't blush at weird things!_

"Oh My Gosh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She kept a firm grasp on me while she went on. "In my last school, everyone thought I was annoying, and I tried to show them I was smart, but they still didn't like me! You're really nice, you know that?"

I'm sure she would have gone on, but I said, "That's nice. Can you let me go now?"

"Oh! Sure." She let me go and I gratefully took in a gasp of air. The warning bell rang and I looked at the clock; 8:20. Had I really been sitting here that long? I would take at least five minutes to get back to the other end of the school, so I started to get up..

"We should go," I said, picking up my messengers bag and putting over one shoulder. "We don't want to miss the trip."

I figured she was smart, even though she could get on my nerves. "Why do you think they didn't actually tell us what we'll be doing or where we're going?"

"Well, this school trains people to be prepared for unexpected things, so that might be it. I don't think it will be educational. Well, it will in their perspective, but we could just be practicing fighting and things like that. Of course, most weapons can't even fully transform yet…" For once she was quiet as we got our things from our lockers and stepped into the classroom. Everyone was talking but the teacher saw us walk in.

"Did you finally decide to be on time, Samantha?" Mr. Stitch gave a warm smile and signaled for us to sit down. I looked to the left where Max sat. My eyes passed over him a couple of times before I found him in his usual seat horizontal with mine on the very left while I'm on the very right. He was staring straight ahead with unfocused eyes. Even though I knew exactly where he sat, it was always hard to find him unless I focus really hard. If he didn't want to be seen, he wasn't going to be.

"Alright, everyone who hasn't already, pass your permission slips to the front." I gave mine to the person in front of me who passed it to the person in the front row. Mr. Stitch went to all the front rows and collected them.

"I'm sure you all are wondering exactly what we're going to do on the mission trip." Everyone nodded in agreement. "Now, not everyone is on the same level, and those who can't fully transform or communicate when transformed is going to have undivided attention just for that group. There are, supposedly, three groups that have already accomplished both, and they will get a head start on more advanced classes."

Three? I thought there were only two. I looked around to see who else this might be. Ann Marie was glowing with pride, and then I remembered that she can completely transform.

"Now, we were told to board the carriages ten minutes early, so we should be there…" he checked his watch. "now. Alright, everyone start heading out. We have to go to the back port, so take a right." I got up and Ann Marie materialized beside me along with her partner, a quiet-looking blonde boy, almost as small as Ann Marie.

"Hey, Ann Marie. And you must be her partner. My name is Samantha." I reached out my hand, and he took it hesitantly. His hand was soft. I was kind of surprised that Ann Marie actually found a guy partner.

"My name's Chris." His voice was soft, and I had to listen hard to hear him. That explains it. He must listen a lot.

"Hi, Chris." I jumped. That wasn't my voice. I turned around and Max was right behind me.

"Max, don't _do_ that," I said. "That's the second time today someone's done that to me," I said in a smaller voice than before.

We were the last people in the classroom. "We should catch up."

* * *

**SUP ITS KRIS DOING THE ENDING**

**REVIEW WHAT YOU THINK BICHTESSSS**

**IF YOU DO NOT REVIEW AND FAVE AND FOLLOW YOU ARE DOOMED TO FUCK YOURSELF IN A CORNER AND DIE ALONE.**

**DO IT NOW.**


	6. Chapter 6: Mission Trip

**'Sup.**

**READ THIS: I had to go back and add some stuff to the last chapter because I realized it was so short and then I was like "Oops, I left this part out" so, yeah. Go read it unless the next chapter (7) is already up and you weren't already following this story because you're a loser.**

**Don't worry, I don't think you're a loser. Anyone reading this is obviously great at picking out stories to read (rate, review, follow, and favorite)! Either that or you've read all the good stories already. BUT.**

**You're still reading it in the end. SO I WIN.**

* * *

"Everyone, the carriages are only big enough for three groups to fit in comfortably, so pick two other groups to be with." There were five carriages, one of them probably for the teachers and assistants. Ann Marie clung to my arm, almost tipping me over. Even without looking I could tell Max was trying not to laugh.

"Let's pair up, Samantha!"

"I will if you let me go," I said. I was losing feeling in my arm.

"Oh, sorry," she let me go and I rubbed the part where she had clung on for dear life. I hoped I didn't have a bruise.

"Hey, Samantha," Mr. Stitch called my name. "Who are you pairing up with?"

"Well, we need one more pair-"

"Perfect. The other pair you fought in gym can't pair up with you guys since, in actuality, they can't hear each other's thoughts. We ran a test." We didn't get a test, so they must have suspected it from the beginning. I wondered how. I also wondered something else, and that was since when could Chris and Ann Marie hear each other's thoughts? Were their souls that in sync?

"Why would I have to pair with them? And who's the other person?"

"That's just it." He ignored my first question. As if I was asking everything I wanted to. "They can't make it here on time, so we'll meet them there. So save the spot for him, okay?"

"Um…okay…." I said as he ran away toward the head carriage. Why did he run to me?

Ann Marie started tugging on my arm. "Samantha, let's _go_." She pulled me into the only carriage with an open door and shoved me inside. She immediately sat next to me. As soon as Max and Chris got in, the doors closed by themselves and the wheels below us started turning without a horse or any force I could see. Then they started flying back toward the ground.

"Samantha, guess what?" She didn't let me answer as she went on. "I'm not just a nun chuck! I can also turn into a crossbow and a dart shooter and a sword and even a grappling hook!"

I would never say this out loud, but I guess that's why I thought just a nun chuck was too weak. This must make up for it.

"That's great, Ann Marie. So you can hear each other's thoughts, too?" I was kind of mad at her for not telling me. I tried to tell myself I was acting conceited and that we were officially friends just ten minutes ago, but the feeling wouldn't go away.

Then, instead of feeling bad for myself, I feel bad for Chris. I hoped she didn't think too much in weapon form. When she's talking people can tell her to shut up, but what about inside her head? She must think so much faster than she talks.

"Yep!" she said, answering my question. "So that means we get to work together at the mission trip for the whole week!" I had totally forgotten; we won't be back until next Monday. Usually mission trips are religious things, but for MSWM it just meant not coming back for a week. I hoped whoever this mystery boy was wasn't as annoying as Ann Marie. I love her, but sometimes I could throttle her. (Okay, so like whenever she talks. So not sometimes.)

We went on like that the whole two hours; Ann Marie talking, me trying not to kill her, while Chris watched us from the other side and Max oblivious to everything. The carriages moved remarkably fast through what looked like a dry forest. At least it wasn't a jungle. Finally we got to—wherever it was. The entire student body stepped out and an adult I didn't recognize dressed in a white V-neck and hiking Capri's came up to us.

"I understand you are all in the advanced group. My name is Mr. C. Come with me." I glanced at Max who shrugged. We all began to follow him.

He led us into the woods without a path and as we got deeper and deeper in the trees got so close that was barely any light that hit the earth floor. We had been walking pretty fast for about thirty minutes in silence when out of nowhere there was an opening in the shape of a circle with a diameter of about thirty feet. The sudden light was blinding and for a moment I didn't see the other figure standing in the middle. My eyes were still focusing when Mr. C said, "Meet your new transfer student and his weapons."

I blinked one more time and then I saw him; he had black hair and he was wearing black jeans and a white shirt with a black skull on it. Behind him were two girls, one looking fourteen, and the other one older, maybe sixteen. They both had blonde hair.

"This is Grim, Heidi, and Megan. Grim, Heidi, and Megan, this is Chris, Ann Marie, Samantha, and Max."

"Hi," the older one, Megan said.

"Hello," the younger one, Heidi said cheerfully. Grim didn't say anything.

"Well, the headmaster wanted his son to get to know the other misters before starting." He shifted uncomfortably. "And I also have some other things to attend to." He ran back into the woods, but his footsteps were soundless and we couldn't see him with all the trees crowded together like they were.

The headmaster's son? Him? Why would he transfer then? Is he really bad?

"Why did you join the school?" Ann Marie asked.

"Yeah, wouldn't your dad be a better teacher?" I added.

"Everyone always assumes that," he said. He sounded like a very secretive and serious person.

"I guess I must be everyone, then." My eyes narrowed. I didn't much like his first impression. Apparently he didn't like mine either, because he looked away.

After some silence Megan said, "He's nice if you get to know him." I didn't say anything.

"What weapons can you guys turn into? I didn't know you could have more than one per mister," Max said.

"We turn into guns!" Heidi said excitedly.

"Well, Grim kind of took us in. We were living on the streets using each other as weapons when he found us. It was sort of a special circumstance." Maybe he's nice, after all. "What about you guys?" Megan gave me a questioning look as I slapped my hand on my forehead.

Here we go.

"Well, at first I only thought I could be a nun chuck, but then I thought that was a really weak weapon so I asked my mom and she said she could turn into other weapons, too, like a morning star and a claymore so I tried and I can turn into a crossbow and a sword and a grappling hook and even a dart shooter to knock people out! One time Chris accidentally shot someone and we got in trouble from my dad because he was the one who we shot. Even though my sword is short Chris is really good at it and if I focus there's even this enchanted sword mode but it's too powerful and I get tired so we don't do it that much."

I could not believe she said that in one breath. She paused to take one and would have gone on, but we were saved by someone coming in from woods.

"Ann Marie." She didn't hear me at first as she continued telling stories at full speed. "ANN MARIE!"

"You don't have to shout," she said as she rubbed her hand over her ear. She caught sight of the movement going on in the woods. I was expecting a man to come out, but a blast of pure energy went straight for my head. It cut off part of my hair as I tried to get to the right enough to avoid it. As it zoomed by my ear there was a throbbing in my ear like part of it got in there. I instincivly put a hand over it. The—whatever it was, energy from the blast I guess—started spreading toward my brain and my vision got so fuzzy I couldn't make out any single shape, but it quickly went away. When it did I realized I was on the ground. Someone picked me up and I shook my head. Everyone was looking at me with a scared look on their face, all except for Grim, who looked like he was ready to fight. That's when I realized _everyone_ was there.

So who was holding my hands behind my back?

"If anyone moves they die." He held up a gun towards the group of kids. I recognized that voice. Where did I recognize that voice? "No one transforms, either."

Finally I placed the Italian accent.

* * *

**Okay so if you're really confused about how this starts then you didn't read the top because it explains it and you're a loser. SO READ THE TOP.**

**Okay now if you're not mad at me for calling you a loser anymore then you should review, rate, fave, all that good, save the world stuff.**

**GO!**

**Oh yeah and if you're like a fan of my writing check out my new story Megan and the Burnouts. Maka and Soul have new names AGAIN. But Black*Star and Tsubaki are in that story! And Liz and Kid (kind of)! But none of them have the same names. And no Patty, I'm sorry...**


	7. Chapter 7: Pure Energy

**Aloha. I've been noticing that these chapters are way longer than my other story. I'm kind of mad about that. But anyways.**

**Okay so nothing really happens in this chapter, but I think it's still pretty entertaining. I hope you like it, either way.**

**OH GOSH I just remembered! I was looking through the reviews and the first one was written by me! I was like how is that possible. And then I remembered Kristina. The sandwich and caps lock were a givaway. I'm sure you can tell with the caps and she always eats my andwiches. Like right after I make them she'll sit down and eat it right in front of me and I'm like "NO MY HOPES AND DREAMS WERE IN THAT SANDWICH". And then she takes another bite.**

**Sooo it turns out since I started my story I've looked like a loner who writes their own review...even though it had nothing to do with the story...**

**Read it and you'll know what I mean.**

**I am going to kill her.**

* * *

He tightened his hold on my hands and lifted them up so it hurt my shoulder blades.

"Ow," I said in an innocent voice. "Loosen the grip, please."

"Oh, sorry." I took the opportunity to pull free my hands from his grasp. Before he could point his gun at me I drew back my fist and a nice loud _crack_ filled the air as it made contact with his nose. He fell backwards and his fedora flew off his head. He scrambled back up and ran into the forest, a trail of steady blood following him in his wake.

"What was _that_ about?" I said as I turned back around to the stunned faces before me. Grim went back to looking uninterested.

"How did you know he would do that?" Megan asked.

I shrugged. "The first time I met him he seemed kind of stupid, so I thought if I acted all helpless, he wouldn't think twice about it."

There was a rustling in one of the trees and I jumped. "Don't worry, it's just me," Mr. Stitch said as he dropped down from the tree he was in.

"Were you watching the whole thing?" I asked.

"It got interesting." He brushed off his lab coat.

"Is that your answer _every time _I'm in trouble?"

_ "_Moving on," he said clasping his hands together. It was kind of annoying that he did that but at least he didn't ask about "the first time we met".

"I'm here to help you in your advanced studies." Then what was the point of that Mr. C guy? "I would like everyone to transform into their _usual_ weapon form." Ann Marie looked upset she wouldn't get to tell him all her forms and sadly turned into her usual nun chucks while Max turned into his scythe and Megan and Heidi turned into silver twin pistols.

"Now, what I'm going to teach you is group communication. It's like you and your partner, but with everyone. To do this you'll have to focus on your surroundings and kind of melt into them, like widening your vision except with all your senses." We just looked at him. "Well, try."

What was I supposed to say? "Thanks for the help"? More like "How the heck am I supposed to do that?"

I tried to blend into the surroundings like he said, but all that happened was I got a headache. It hurt more than usual ones, but it wasn't a migraine. I must be concentrating really hard, but if I was, then why wasn't anything happening? At first only Grim and his partners could do it, but then Chris, Max, and even Ann Marie were all talking to each other.

_What are you guys talking about?_ I thought, only to Max.

_ Ann Marie won't shut up. _There was a pause. _Sorry, I was just answering Samantha's question._ I could imagine her reaction and smiled to myself. I tried one more time and I could feel the grass beneath me this time. _I think I got this…_ I was breathing in the scent of the trees and I distinctly heard the voice of Ann Marie going on about what I think was the scientific reason this was all possible. It came in clearer and I was right.

_Ann Marie?_

She stopped. _Yeah?_

_ Shut. Up. It's giving me a headache._ It was hurting a lot more than before.

_ Oh good, you did it! _Megan said. Or thought.

_Yay!_ I recognized that one as Heidi.

_Guys, I don't feel so good._ My headache was getting even worse and I was losing connection. A sharp pain went through my skull and I fell to the grass.

"OW!" My hands were clutching the side of my head. I couldn't scream or anything. My head felt like it was going to split open. I distinctly remember falling to the ground.

I woke up. Or at least I thought I had. It was completely dark. _Is this what fainting is like?_ I tried to move but it was incredibly hard and it felt like I was stuck to the ground with invisible gum. Then an extreme pain went through me and I shook all over. My eyes went everywhere trying to look at something but only finding darkness. The convulsions kept happening and I had no way to make them stop. My lungs were about to burst from lack of air, but I couldn't open my mouth. I clutched my throat and distinctive voices could be heard.

"Oh My Gosh, is she okay?" That was Ann Marie, I think. It's hard to think when your brain is lacking oxygen.

"Of course she is, she's just having a seizure." I recognized the sarcasm immediately. That was Max. I didn't even have to think about that one, which was good.

"And she's not breathing."

Who was that again? What was the new kid's name? Even the pain was subsiding as all my senses went away. Was I going to die like this? That would suck. Come on…Fully Alive, just like Flyleaf. I felt the pain came back slowly and I heard the voices more and more. The pain continued, but I knew I had to breath soon or die. I thought I would completely pass out just from the excruciating pain in my head.

My eyes burst open and I took in an overdue breath. I coughed as I tried to even out my breathing. I was in a cold sweat, but at least the pain in my head had subsided. There was still a constant throbbing though, and I felt nauseous.

"That hurt like hell. What just happened?"

"It was an after effect of that shot that got near your head." I hadn't even noticed Mr. Stitch standing behind me. "It causes your brain cells to attack each other."

I slowly turned around, realizing something and getting pissed.

"Did you know about that bullet thing? And what it does?"

"The energy-compactor?" He was obviously bragging. "Why, of course, a teacher should be well informed for the safety of his students-" That was all I needed to here.

"SO THEN WHY DID YOU LET ME TRAIN?" He put me through THAT? And he KNEW ABOUT IT?

He coughed awkwardly. "Well, um..." He seemed to be looking for something else to say. "How do you feel?" I thought it was a pretty lame thing to say when I realized what he just did. As realization showed on my face he gave me a smug smile.

My attention was torn from Mr. Stitch as everyone started bombing me questions like, "Who was that guy?" and "What did it feel like?" They all crowded around me (except Grim of course) and I was feeling claustrophobic. I loved how no one asked if I was okay.

"If you don't back up, I will throw up on you." My plan worked surprisingly well and they made immediate room for me. Mr. Stitch helped me up, but I was still mad at him so I took my arm away a little harder than was necessary.

"I can walk by myself," I said. I swayed on the spot, but refused help.

"We should get back to the camp."

"Camp? What camp?"

"It was set up while we were gone. The witches conjured it up."

I guess that explains the flying carriages.

Another thought hit me and I felt stupid. _And the fireplace._

"Well, this sucks. I was finally getting the hang of it," I said as we walked once again through the thick woods. "I still don't understand how that works." At this Ann Marie once again got into the scientific reason this was possible. I kicked myself.

"I should have warned you," Megan said.

"No, I walked right into that one." I watched as a butterfly landed on my shoulder. I stopped walking and scooped it up on my finger. Everyone passed me as I looked more closely at it; a monarch. This was my mom's favorite butterfly, and it was mine still because of that. I watched as it flew away, zoning out.

I looked back toward the group to find Grim standing a few yards in front of me, looking right at me. I think I gave him this confused-puppy look because I still wasn't completely back on the ground.

"What?" I said. He just turned around and kept walking. _That guy…_

After enough stories to last a life time from Ann Marie, we finally reached what was apparently a "camp".

More like a resort!

It had five cottages, all bigger than my house (you know, not the apartment). They looked like really good ones, too, with windows and everything, including three chimneys.

Mr. Stitch walked briskly toward the biggest one and lead us all inside. He then lead us to a spacious room resembling a living room with a large flat screen TV mounted on one of the walls.

"Wait here," Mr. Stitch told us. He quickly closed the door and his footsteps disappeared quickly. Everyone promptly began attacking me with questions again.

"What did you see?" Ann Marie asked. She sounded like she was writing a report and getting data.

"Why were you holding your throat?" Heidi asked, in a surprisingly good and clueless mood.

"Why were you shaking?" Ann Marie.

"Were you in danger?" Megan.

"Who was that guy?" Ann Marie.

"Do you feel okay?" Max.

I looked at them in turn as I answered them back one by one.

"It was black. I couldn't breathe. It was painful. Yes, I almost died. Fedora guy. And I might throw up on you, but not because I'm sick." That last one was because I was getting annoyed with all of them focusing their attention on me. I'm not a baby.

They all stared at me. "Did I leave any out?" When they didn't say anything, I said, "I'm going to throw up in the toilet," and left the room, irritated. Of course, I didn't have to, but right when I thought they were done they just started over again. At least the questions before seemed more concerned.

For a while I just stood in the hallway, trying to calm down, then I walked left, the way we came in.

I was walking by the main room you pass when you first enter when I heard people talking. I was tempted to stop, but then I remembered what they say about eavesdroppers; they don't like what they hear. I was walking by when I heard my name. That's like a message from God saying "get the hell out of there" but I ignored it completely.

"…can't ask Samantha's parents about it." I didn't recognize the voice that I first heard. "It was an unfortunate timing for her father to go to sleep and never wake up."

_This isn't going to end well…_ I thought, finally even slightly thinking about the warning but not thinking any farther than I shouldn't. I pressed my ear against the door anyways.

"Yes. Some even suspected it wasn't a coincidence, but it was then found he had simply put his body into overload with too much alcohol." It stung more than I thought it would as Mr. Stitch summed it all up. I had been informed this by the police, and it shouldn't have surprised me as much as it did, but if he loved mom as much as he seemed to, he would love her bundle of joy too, and they wouldn't have been planning to have a divorce. Basically he screwed up.

"He probably felt it was his fault that he wasn't there for her when his wife died and then thought it would be easier to blame it all on his daughter." How did he know all this about my family? My dad only died recently, so it was hard to believe he just happened to be going through my student file after he was declared officially dead. And whoever these other people were seemed to do their homework, too.

"How do we even know that Samantha and this…this company are connected?" It was an unfamiliar voice this time; like a fat man in his fifties.

"Because she has been targeted by what the followers have called 'The Chosen One' ever since she got accepted to the school two months ago." This was news to me; I've only known about it for three days. "We've managed to block almost all of their attacks, but it's proven to be difficult with all the mayhem they're causing, along with all the street groups following them. They've been the one's causing most of the trouble lately, like the terrorism attacks and missing children. We've made careless mistakes with a man with a fedora on thinking he didn't have enough skill to be bothered with." No kidding.

"They seem to be attempting to capture her rather than kill, but just about an hour ago the same man almost killed her. He doesn't seem to know what he's doing, but they could just be trying to get us to lower our guard. We can't underestimate him."

"What is the point of this meeting if you're just telling us things in circles?"

"I called for this meeting at such short notice because it might be important to us later."

"You've told us that a million times, that a little detail could be important, it's not news to us." Another voice, that of an impatient man in his thirties.

"Yes, but this is not little; it shows us that The Chosen One is still determined to get Samantha for whatever reason he or she has. The forces also continue to come, which shows they are holding back and could unleash it all on us any time."

There was a pause.

"Do you think this has anything to do with her mother?" It was the fat man again. My stomach got upset and I froze when they mentioned my mom.

"Though the chances are slim, she could be alive, but it would be against miraculous odds with times like these. No matter how hard the school tries to hide it, there are still dark things going on in the background. The Chosen One's group isn't the only one causing trouble around Mirage City; there are the Gypsies, the Water Nymphs, and even a group sort of like that of a tribute to the Blackroad Bandits." Everyone broke out in a nervous murmur at the name Blackroad Bandits. Though the name sounded kind of stupid to me, they must have been a big deal, whatever they were.

There was a soft "eh hem" behind me and I turned around to find Grim looking right at me.

I shifted uncomfortably and tried not to fidget. It proved to be a real challenge.

"I was just, um, looking for the bathroom." Lamest. Excuse. Ever. No one looks for the bathroom pressing their ear to a door for three straight minutes. He raised his eyebrows at me and…what was that? A smile? Was he making fun of me? I would have been mad, but I was feeling sick for what was, as far as he knew, the third time today.

"I'm just gonna…okay." I rushed by him and back into the room I was in before, where everyone sat in a circle sweating over when Ann Marie would finally find the urge to take a breath between speeches.

"Hi, Samantha!" Megan greeted me, probably glad of a distraction. I ignored her and sat down on the couch and pulled up a small trash can. I felt like crap and I was in a room with other people, so I tried not to puke as Ann Marie came over.

"Are you feeling okay? You don't look too good. You're sweating too, but you look cold. Do you want me to bring a blanket? Maybe you should sleep-"

"NO!" I screamed at Ann Marie, leaving her looking stunned. Heidi was still sitting where she was before, looking around the room dreamily. Grim came in the room at that moment.

"I mean…" I looked at Max and he just shrugged. He had an expression on his face like he wanted to talk to me. "I just can't sleep or else…um…I…have nightmares. Yeah. I scream and everything. It might be an after-effect of the giant blast of energy."

"But how come you know you'll have nightmares? Have you been hit with energy before?" That was an odd question out of context, but she hit right on the target.

Frick.

I almost threw up then but I managed to keep it down. I was shaking harder now and was feeling exhausted.

"Just…trust me on this one…." I breathed. I almost passed out but Max grabbed my arm and pulled me up right. I shook my head to wake up.

"Are you sure you can't sleep it out?" Megan asked. She looked really concerned about this.

"Yeah, I…" I thought I had kept talking, but I couldn't hear myself. I tried talking again but I couldn't speak. I could hear everything else; the clock ticking, the AC turning on, and Ann Marie talking (of course).

"Can you talk?" I tried to say no, I couldn't, but then realized I couldn't and shook my head. The fuzzy eye sight and buzz in the background was starting to come. It was also getting harder to think. Ann Marie said something else. I looked at Max, pointed at my ears, and hoped he understood. He told Ann Marie something, and she stopped talking. For some that might just mean they're just thinking, but Ann Marie had defiantly understood. I looked around, noticing Grim wasn't here anymore. As is on queue, he walked in with Mr. Stitch, both looking deadly serious (not unusual for Grim, but I had never seen Mr. Stitch like this).

I was trying not to pass out now. I knew I wouldn't last long, but I didn't want anyone here to think I was a freak with issues or something like that. Mr. Stitch talked to Ann Marie and she looked hesitant about something. He said something else and she turned into a dart shooter.

Then he pointed it at me.

* * *

**WHAT I am on a role with cliff-hangers in both my stories. You hate me but you can't help but want to read the next chapter.**

**I am terrible but I am great. Just like Voldemort. **

**You should review what you think now.**


	8. Chapter 8: White Noise

**I changed the names of the last two chapters just 'cuz I can. And there would be like four parts.**

**_OKAY_ so I wasn't going to post until tomorrow but ****Emma-Kate9885**** sent a review saying she wanted to know what would happen next and I had bugged her into writing faster for one of her stories, so. Thank her. (Unless you want me to die and stop posting these things. Then you probably wish she hadn't written it. But kill her, not me.)**

**Plus I'm bored.**

* * *

At first, everything was dark.

Then a single candle was lit, exposing the small room I was in.

Everything looked old; lining the wall on the left was an antique bookcase with a spiral design on the top curving upward and together in the middle. On the right there was a long desk with a stool partially under the left side where it was hollow under. On the right side of the desk there were drawers built into it, and on top of it there were scrolls, some open and pooling all over the surface, and some messily placed ones were still rolled up.

The desk where the candle itself sat on was what looked like the only organized thing in the room. There were three books carefully placed and straightened on one side, and an old oil lamp on the other. Behind the desk was a worn looking world map. There were creases that made holes in it everywhere.

I looked and looked, but there wasn't an exit to be found anywhere. There were no windows either, but I got the feeling it was night outside.

The flame suddenly flickered, and I turned around to find a woman sitting on the once empty chair. I made a small yelp and jumped to the other end of the room, which wasn't saying much considering the size of the room. I almost tripped over stray book. I couldn't see her face yet because it was facing down and her walnut shade of hair was covering her head like a curtain. It was freaking me out.

The woman picked up her head. I don't know what I was expecting; a rotting corpse would be nice. Instead I looked back at a normal, stressed looking woman. Her face looked overworked and her worry line was etched deeply into her skin. It gave her the look that she was thinking deeply about something. Upon seeing me, her expression softened and she stood up. She was wearing jeans and a casual tee-shirt.

"Hello," she said. Her voice had a strange sound to it, like talking through a telephone with very bad service.

"Hi," I said timidly. This was not like my other dream that I remembered. It was much more vivid, and my mom hadn't appeared yet. I wondered if this was what the others were like, that I couldn't remember. Then I wondered if I would remember this one. I probably thought that in all the other ones too, unless they were like the last one where I wasn't in control of anything and I didn't know it was a dream.

"This is not a figment of your imagination. This is a message." Her image faltered, like she was being disconnected. "I don't have much time." She was expressionless as she watched her hand disappear and then come back a second later. She looked back at me.

"I'm going straight to the point. We are coming to get you."

There was a pause. This reminded me of a horror movie.

"Why?" I finally said. "What could I have to do with…whatever you guys are called."

She looked at me like I was stupid. "Because you are The Chosen One's daughter."

"What does that have to do with anything? Wouldn't you be looking for your Chosen One anyways?"

Once again she was as blunt as possible. "Some of the power is still in you. We work to contain that power."

She started pacing. "Since you have evaded capture thus far, we have no choice." She stopped pacing and looked at me. "We are forced to threaten you."

"I don't care what you do to me, I'm not supporting you. Anyone who tries to take me by force and causes all these things to happen on the sidelines isn't trying hard enough to not look like the bad guy."

A sly grin appeared on her face, but she still looked dead in the eyes. Her image faltered. "Our Leader expected you to say that. We're not going to threaten you, exactly."

"How can you threaten me but not threaten me?" I thought I knew what she was about to say, but I didn't want to hear it.

"We will capture and kill your friends."

That's what I thought.

"Unless, of course, you wish to come silently."

I might not want them to get killed, but this just crosses the line. "I am not going to be used like this. No way in hell am I coming without a fight. You guys aren't the only ones in the battle."

She chuckled. "It wouldn't be fun that way." Her image faltered and one side of her began to get consumed by the black and white that you get on TV. It was the same noise you got from that, too; white noise. Even though it was just a sound, it consumed everything; it filled all my thoughts, all I cared about, all I hated. I could feel it, hear it, breathe it, see it; it was everything. Then the black and white parts started to crumble and fall to the floor like ashes made out of pixels.

"Do not underestimate us," she said before her head, too, was consumed by the black and white. It was hard to hear over the white noise, and especially hard to even remotely focus on what was going on, but it faded and stopped when the last fragments of her started floating toward the ground. Then it was black.

Something was pressing against me. I started thrashing wildly, trying to get it off me, when something else grabbed onto my shoulder. I landed a punch on something solid, and then I felt something else solid make hard contact with my cheek; a punch I think. It _really _hurt, but it's a great alarm clock.

I opened my eyes and blinked at the sudden light.

"I don't care if you're asleep," Grim said, sounding angry. "No one punches me."

I sat up and rubbed my cheek. "That really hurt…" I looked up and found everyone crowding around me, not including Grim who was standing back. Then I looked down and realized I was on a bed in what looked like a hospital with my pajamas on. I yelped and jumped back, pulling a blanket with me. Luckily whoever had changed me left my bra on, or else this would be really embarrassing.

"Who changed me? Where am I? And you're making me claustrophobic!" Everyone backed up except for Heidi. The last one wasn't really true, but they need to get it together and stop crowding me right after I pass out. It's just damn creepy.

"I did!" she said, raising her hand. "You're bra looks worn though, you should get a new one."

I blushed furiously. "Don't say stuff like that!" I hissed. It's not my fault I don't have enough money to get a freakin' designer pair of underwear. "And why are you all here?" That's when I remembered the dart shooter.

"What…he…" I finally was able to use words. "Why did Mr. Stitch shoot me?"

"He said that if you tried to fight the night terrors, mixed with the energy that guy shot still mixed in your system, it could really hurt you," Megan told me. "like permanent-damage hurt you."

"So his solution was to shoot me?" I was talking loudly. "That makes no sense! First you almost kill me, then you shoot me because apparently you know everything about my life including my family and my issues and where I live and who's trying to kill me and decided to just keep that a secret like 'Hey, let's just not tell her that we know all these things even though we might have to shoot her one day and she'll probably be scared like what the heck someone is about to shoot me but it won't matter because she'll only be scared for like ten seconds and by then she'll be passed out!'" I paused, realized I was out of breath, breathed, and then realizing something. "And now you guys know, too? Fantastic." If you couldn't tell, I said "fantastic" sarcastically.

I turned rant-mode off. "Oops," I said kind of embarrassed. "I bet I sounded like Ann Marie just now." Ann Marie looked offended, Heidi looked confused, Megan was trying not to laugh and Max looked guilty.

"Um, about that," he said. "I was _kind of_ the one that told Mr. Stitch to keep an eye on you." I was shocked and I let it show up on my face; I think my mouth was even open. "But he did know about you before; I just told him about the night terrors."

I was mad now. "Are you done?"

"I also told everyone else about the night terrors after you passed out."

"Dude, what the heck?!"

"They needed to know," he said, shrugging.

"We were all ready to block out the screams when you started thrashing around, and when I tried to stop you from doing that you punched Grim," Max explained.

"You should have seen the look on his face." Megan laughed. "I've never seen him so pissed!" She laughed again. She sounded like Heidi for a second and it scared me a little.

"That would explain why I have a bruise on my cheek now." I rubbed it. "He sure knows how to pack a punch." Then I remembered the dream.

"Um, guys…" I wasn't sure what to say. "I don't know how to tell you this, so I'm going to just say it." They all looked at me, Heidi with a determined look on her face, like she wasn't going to be scared or surprised no matter what. I doubted that.

I played with my thumbs, thinking of a good way to express this. "Some people are trying to kill you," I finally blurt out. They stared at me.

This is going to take some explaining.

* * *

"So basically," Megan started, as Heidi pretended her hand was an airplane. There were sound effects and everything, it was pretty annoying. "Abusing the side effects of your 'night terrors' a mysterious woman with a bad connection gave you the message that some group is trying to kidnap you because you're 'The Chosen One's daughter' but your mom has been missing and your dad is dead so you can't exactly ask what's going on and they're trying to get you to come cooperatively by threatening to kill all of us?" I nodded. That pretty much summed it up, but I hadn't told them about how my mom committed suicide, only Max. I bet Grim and Mr. Stitch know, though. I shot a glare at them unconsciously.

"I'm both offended and inspired you would put our lives on the line like that," Max said, redirecting my attention, "but mostly offended."

"Sorry to make your life so stressful." I know I was being childish, but they're not the ones being targeted. I was, however, glad that no one was being sensitive with me about my parent situation. He sighed.

"I can't see you giving in to something like that anyways." He gave a warm smile.

"He smiled!" Heidi said. "Yaay!" She threw her hands in the air, a blissful grin on her face.

"Why is that such a big deal?" I asked, confused at her reaction. "He's not emotionless."

"Yeah, but most of the time he's like Grim, always looking bored. Him pissed is the most emotion I've seen out of him in a while." Megan tried to hold back a laugh. "You should've seen his face, it was priceless." I noticed Grim was looking a little pissed right now, too. Maybe I would be laughing like Megan, but there were too many stars in the way for me to see clearly.

I also noticed Ann Marie hadn't talked this whole time, and that scared me more than the message. She was standing to the left, staring down at my blanket.

"What?" I said. "You not talking is almost weirder than having a teacher shoot me with you." And, you know. Everything else in my life.

She didn't say anything.

"Ann Marie." She was silent still. I gave up and plopped down on my bed.

"I'm going to sleep now. Everybody leave."

They filed out the door. It was true I was exhausted, like I hadn't really gotten any sleep when I got shoot by the dart shooter. I stared at the ceiling for a while before closing my eyes and falling into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

**You're welcome. I didn't shove a cliff-hanger on you. And I didn't ask at the end "What's wrong with Ann Marie?" like some authors would. And they do it at the ending where the print is bold, so it's still fresh in your mind. Isn't that just horrible?**

**Review what you think. ;)**


	9. Chapter 9: Empathy and Anger

**This isn't the most interesting chapter. Sorry.**

**I hate it that my plot is getting away from me! Come baaack! *Runs away flapping arms around like a maniac.***

**It's just kind of a sit-down-and-redeem-yourself chapter. Even I think it's boring, so I'm not going to ask you to review for this one. You can still like the story though, and if you do you should follow/favorite it. And then check out my other story.**

**Read, my dance minions.**

* * *

I woke up the next morning not knowing where I was. Then the details starting sinking in, slowly so that none of them surprised me. Until it got to the point when they found out about my parent situation. I blushed and stuffed my face in the pillow. I would hate it if they started being sensitive toward me about that.

"Oh, you're awake." The voice made me jump. I hadn't been aware that someone else was in the room. I flipped around and saw no one else but Mr. Stitch sitting in one of the two plastic chairs.

I was still scared of him. "Why are you here?" I tried to keep my emotions out of the words, but some still leaked through.

"Don't worry, I won't shoot you again." He said it so seriously I would have laughed if I hadn't known whether he was lying or not. He stood up and I tried to fight the urge to hide under the covers. "I just came to tell you that the others told me about your dream and not to worry about it. You and your friends will be given extra protection from now on."

"How long were you waiting?" I didn't want him to care about me, too-but mostly I didn't want him watching me while I was sleeping. I get enough of that from...everyone else.

"I'm not sure, I fell asleep." That's when I noticed that he had dark circles under his eyes. I wondered what could stress him out so much, or what could occupy him so much that it would take so much of his time.

"Next time if you don't want a night terror, don't eavesdrop. You won't like what you hear." I stared at him, a stupid look on my face, mostly because that was like the exact thought I had before listening in, but also things, like questions. Examples are: How did he find out? and Could you please stop knowing everything about me?

"Megan left you a set of clothes. When you're ready just go to the second cabin on the right; the hospital is also in the camp." With that he walked out.

My stomach rumbled and I checked the clock; it was six thirty. Time for dinner.

I slipped on the jeans and shirt and noticed the top was a little tight and more-than-a-little see-through. Luckily when I checked again I found a spaghetti tank top that was supposed to go under it, which was also tight. I realized the shirt was a name brand.

_These must be Megan's clothes,_ I thought as I left the hospital. I felt more exposed than usual as I walked toward the cabin Mr. Stitch had directed me to. No one was watching TV, so I assumed they were having dinner. I headed toward the one of the rooms with a fire place that was for the girls and immediately found my bag. I put on the jacket I had yet to return to Anna Kate and then went to the dining room which, following the sounds of agitated arguing, I found easily.

"Finally, Sleeping Beauty arrives," Megan said, cutting off whatever remark she was telling Grim before.

"You sleep a lot!" Heidi said excitedly.

"Hey, you're not wearing my shirt." I knew it was Megan's.

"It was too tight." I shrugged. At this Megan attacked me and practically tore off the jacket.

"What are you doing?!" This was a shocker. I didn't know she felt this way about me. *Blush* Okay, I'm just kidding.

Maybe.

No, really.

"Proving you wrong. This shirt is practically loose on you. When's the last time you ate?"

I looked at the clock, then back at her.

"Yesterday morning."

She sighed. "It does look good on you, though. I could never tell your boobs were so big because of all those baggy shirts you wear."

I snatched back the jacket, blushing. "You and your sister always say weird things," I told her while I zipped it up. "It's sexual harassment."

"Possibly." She made it sound like it wasn't a big deal. "But if you haven't eaten since yesterday you must be hungry, right? Heidi ate most of it, but you don't look like you eat much." I looked at Heidi's plate and wondered how she could be so skinny, there was so much food. Then I looked at Ann Marie's and saw her pushing her food around on her plate, not even touched. Unless it was like her seconds, but then why would she get broccoli? She hates broccoli, not that I can blame her. You're eating a flower, for goodness sake!

I sat down and ate while Heidi stuffed her mouth and pretended the celery was a bomb and watched Max and Megan go at it about Max's "fashion sense". Chris did the same thing as me, but ate less.

After about five minutes of this, Ann Marie stood up.

"Excuse me," she said quietly, and walked back towards the kitchen. After she left, I couldn't help it. Everyone watched (except Heidi) as I pushed back my plate and followed her.

She wasn't in the kitchen anymore, but on the front deck, watching the birds go by and the squirrels climb the pine trees.

"Ann Marie, you need to stop sulking around because it's getting on my nerves." She didn't do anything. I sighed and sat down next to her.

"What is it?" Not much to my surprise, she burst into tears.

"I'm so sorry," she said between tears. "I didn't know about your missing mom or you're dead dad or some giant group was trying to kidnap you…" Despite her crying, she gave a feeble laugh. "I'm such a bad friend. You should be crying, not me." This I what I had been afraid of.

I was angry now.

"Ann Marie." The sternness of my voice surprised her, and she lifted up her tear-streaked face to look at me. "Do you really think I feel sorry for myself and mope around all day like you do? If I can handle it, you can, and I don't want you feeling sorry for me, because that just makes it worse." She gave me a stunned look before looking down at her lap.

"Well, it does."

"So…does that mean we're still…friends?" I could hear the hopefulness in her voice and I laughed.

"Why else would I come here? You might be annoying sometimes, and talk to much, and sometimes I wish I could pull out your throat…" This wasn't helping. Time to take a different route. "But you're still my friend."

"Oh, that's great!" I saw the look I had missed, the one lit up with happiness.

It was also the look she got before tackling me to death.

She attacked me with a hug. "I've missed you so much but I just couldn't tell you and I was so confused! I had to think a lot so that's why I wasn't talking and I can't believe you're back! But I guess I do, because I'm not crazy, at least I don't think I am, and-" I couldn't really hear what she was saying because I was too busy trying to rip her iron grip from around throat.

"Ann Marie." She didn't hear me over her constant talking. I couldn't pry her from me. Out of options, I said, "It's that thing you were talking about!" and pointed in a random direction. For lack of anything better to say.

"You mean the South American bird that resembles love and friendship?" Her grasp loosened and then she finally let go, turning around. "It's kind of surprising that it'd be here, but you never know. Hey, where are you going?" I had dashed inside the house. I heard Ann Marie's voice start to get really close; she was catching up, and fast.

The rooms in this house were very big, and I rounded multiple corners trying to get away from her. I had never heard her talk that much in so little time, and that was saying something.

I tripped in the kitchen and there was a loud crash of pots and pans as they hit the ground. I heard Ann Marie stop, not talking for once, then start up again, her voice getting closer to the kitchen.

She was right behind me when I ran into the dining room and I closed the kitchen door just in time. I locked the door behind me, panting.

"What happened?" Max asked, not looking very interested as he slurped up a noodle. There were multiple bangs on the other side of the door like she was ramming her side against it. I tried to keep myself preoccupied by keeping the door shut so I couldn't think about what I'd unleashed upon the world—this was crazy! I had no idea Ann Marie was so strong and-

Wait. I can't focus on that. An extra strong slam kept me from getting too far into it.

"She's defiantly-" Bang. "the same-" Really strong bang. "Ann Marie." Bang, bang.

Suddenly the door behind me burst open, pushing me forward and almost tripping me. "Found you!" Ann Marie said excitedly. Then she hugged me with the force of a car, pushing me down face first on the floor. (I know it doesn't sound like I have the best reflexes, but I was still trying to recover from being thrown forward like that.)

"Found you, found you!" Heidi giggled. "I wanna play, too!" She giggled again. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

"I didn't see that bird you were talking about and I was going to ask you when you left so I came."

"That's great. Please get off of me. I can't breathe," I said with the last bit of air that was in my lungs. She did as she was told and sat down at the other end, talking full-speed about how happy she was. Megan elbowed me.

"What did you do?" Megan said. Everyone except Ann Marie and maybe Grim-you can never tell with him-turned to listen. "She's hasn't talked in the past two days, it looked like she missed it."

"She felt sorry for me." My eyes flashed with anger and I looked up at everyone and sent them a warning. I know at least Grim understood.

"Don't worry about me," Grim said. I ignored that.

"I figured that's what you would say," said Max. "You always do stuff like that." He slurped another group of noodles.

"Do you ever stop eating?" I asked him. Are all boys like this?

"Don't ask me," he said and pointed to Heidi. She had once again filled up her plate and was stuffing her mouth with everything in sight.

And that was how the night ended-Ann Marie talking, everyone trying to ignore her, Megan and Max arguing, Heidi eating, and people laughing when someone tried to get Ann Marie to be quiet, where she would then lecture them about how it was a free country and it stated so on the paper of independence. Even Grim stayed.

* * *

**YAY FOR RAINBOWS AND SUNSHINE!**

**I saved you of a cliff-hanger yet again. And just to let you know, the next chapter has nothing to do with the plot. But it's still entertaining.**

**I know not putting cliff-hangers on just reduces the amount of followers and faves and crap but this is what I wrote. So I'll just have to deal with it.**

**I hope you still liked it!**

**Now review.**


	10. Chapter 10: New Clothes From Your Mom

**This chapter has nothing to do with the story. And it's pretty boring. And kind of short. But everyone secretly likes these kind of things. And on a site like this and with it based off an anime/manga where this stuff happens all the time no one is allowed to deny it.**

**Plus I'm trying to tone it down. In all the other chapters all these things happened that never really happen kept happening. And these things never really happen either but I'm trying to get you guys to worship the chapters that have dramatic stuff really happen and their really good and include the plot. Like at the same time. The ones I really thought about.**

**Omagosh. Even the intro is more boring than usual.**

**Just read the story...**

* * *

I woke up the next morning and felt pretty grimy, so I decided to take a shower. I got up when Megan yawned and said sleepily, "Where are you going?"

"To the showers." The house had three for the girls and three for the guys, both bathrooms on the other side of the house.

"I'll go with you." I thought she looked a little too excited at going to take a shower, but I let her come anyways.

I walked into the showers with Megan. _This bathroom is way overdone,_ I thought. It had full length mirrors near the back next to changing rooms, five marble sinks running along one wall, three toilet stalls past the showers, and even a couch with a rug and coffee table near the front. The whole thing would probably cost more than my house if the witches hadn't magicked it up.

I picked the shower closest to the changing rooms and turned on the water, closing the latch for the door behind me. It was too hot at first, but I got used to the fancy handles and got it at the right temperature.

After about five minutes, Megan turned off her shower and pulled open the door. I heard her go to the changing rooms, walk over to the full length mirror, and then announced she was leaving.

"Breakfast should start soon," she called before closing the door behind her. _She seems to be in an awfully cheery mood,_ I thought as I stopped the water and wrapped a towel around me. I stepped out and found out why.

Those weren't my clothes.

* * *

_What am I supposed to do? _I was freaking out. Since I couldn't walk around naked, I had put on the clothes only to wish I hadn't.

The dress was so small I think it crossed the lines of 'mini-dress' itself. The only things holding it up were two spaghetti-straps above an unreasonably low-cut top. The bottom was very suggestive, stopping barley below Megan's underwear.

That's right, Megan's underwear. The panties were black-_black!_-and so was the bra, which was just as see-through and lacy as the undies.

This was not a decent outfit.

I had looked around before only to find Megan had hidden all the robes, and I only had three pairs of clothes, two of which were dirty even by my standards and one of which Megan had stolen. I'd also had Anna Kate's jacket in my stack, so it was nowhere to be found. I wanted to go to the girl's bedroom we shared and put on my dirty clothes (I don't care how dirty they are I am putting some pants on), but the only way was through the dining room, living room, or kitchen, all of which a window each which came up to about your waist acted as the top of the wall, so if they looked over they would see me. Plus, Max would watch TV, Heidi would stay in there with Megan, and Ann Marie would tell them stories all day. The blinds had been down every time before now when I was in there, like when Ann Marie TRIED TO KILL ME but I'm sure Megan had thought about that.

Megan had planned this perfectly.

_WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?_

_Breathe,_ I told myself. _Just breathe._

My only option was to go there now and ask for my clothes back or else risk some serious misunderstandings. I really didn't like that option, but since it was the only one I had, I might as well do it with my head held high.

More likely I would blush and stare at the ground.

I walked toward the dining room and it became harder and harder to go through with my plan as walked toward the kitchen. I stood in the hallway for a while before popping my head out.

"Megan," I hissed. She didn't hear me, probably zoning out Ann Marie like everyone else. "Megan!" I said, louder this time. She looked up, a sly smile spreading on her face.

"Did you find my present? It fits you, right?"

"A bit drafty. Now can I have my clothes back?"

Grim put down his glass. "I wondered why Megan was so happy."

"You mean she does this often?" He nodded.

"If those are so uncomfortable, why don't you get your other clothes?"

"You know why, I'd have to walk through here! And I'm willing to bet you hid my dirty clothes, anyways."

"Why don't you find out?" The smile was back.

"Because," I said, stamping my foot. "I'd have to walk through here!" I was acting like a spoiled child, but this dress is so revealing and uncomfortable to me that I just didn't care anymore.

"I put your clean clothes in the spa changing room."

My eyes widened. "You didn't."

"Yes I did. So unless you want to walk across the camp and then let everyone see your _black underwear_-" Max choked on the water he was drinking- "then how about you come out and let me see if it fits you?" I've never seen this side of Megan before. It's like she had turned evil or something.

I had found her dark side.

"Can't you just...come in the hallway?"

She shook her head. "No, child. Come to mama."

I thought she made no sense, but what other choice did I have? I can't just stand in the hall until they leave for breakfast; Megan would probably force them to stay, anyways. So I stepped out into the room.

"Pretty," Heidi giggled. Ann Marie was quiet for once and Grim just kept eating like nothing out of the ordinary was going on. Max even blushed and looked away, which somehow effected me the most out of their reactions.

Then I saw Megan.

The look on her face was so dazzled, like her baby was finally growing up. My eyes got wide and I wanted to run from the room but my legs were locked in place.

"Oh, it looks fabulous on you! It's absolutely perfect!" She made me turn around and I tried in vain to get to dress to go lower. Shouldn't moms want their kids to wear the exact opposite of this? "You have more figure than you show, we have some shopping to do! You can keep this one, of course. You do have a bit of a farmers tan, though." I blushed as she checked out my boob area.

"Can you please get another hobby? I don't want this dress!"

"What are you talking about? This looks great on you! This would definitely win guys over. Let me get my self-tanning spray-"

"I don't want it!" She looked up, surprised at my tone. "I don't want to win over guys! It's not exactly like I can date right now, anyways, me being targeted and all. And I _really_ don't like pulling down a dress every second because I'm worried someone can see the underwear you gave me which, by the way, is _transparent_! Now will you _please_ give me my clothes back?" With a dazed look on her face, she pulled my pile of clothes out of her bag. So much for it being in the spa. I snatched it from her hand and ran to the girls room, practically slamming the door behind me.

* * *

After changing and putting away my new dress (Megan would never let me lose, throw away, or return it) I started heading downstairs to the dining room.

I didn't notice how tense it was when I walked in because I was still really agitated. I was sitting next to Megan, so that didn't help. At least Ann Marie was talking, which let everyone know some things would never change. I wasn't that hungry after the incident, so I mostly pushed my food around on my plate. Finally, while Ann Marie was going on about how beauty pageants were cruel and demeaning to woman, Megan elbowed me.

"Listen, I'm sorry I did that. I should have known you wouldn't like it."

"It's fine, I overreacted." Yeah, right. But you don't say things like that when you're making up with someone. "It just wasn't a very good 'welcome back from the hospital' gift. Plus, it was _really_ drafty." I paused, thinking. "So does that mean you won't try to force clothes on me anymore?"

"With your figure and those things you call 'clothes'," Megan started, a gleam in her eye, "it means that we'll have to work our way back up to the dress."

I let my head fall and hit the edge of the table. I should've known.

"Bonk!" Heidi exclaimed. The she giggled.

"What happened?" Ann Marie asked. "Did she pass out? That would be bad. What if she has a bruise? Is her head is bleeding? Head wounds bleed a lot, you know. Maybe she just fell asleep. But how can she still be tired?"

"The mysteries never fail to cease," Megan said mysteriously, a little too dramatic for the situation. Then she made this really creepy laugh like she was a villain or something.

I lifted my head up and talked to Chris. "Kill me now," I said, gripping onto his shoulders. "Just…shoot me." I let my head fall back to the table. Megan laughed harder and so did Heidi. At least hers wasn't creepy. I don't even think she knew what we were talking about though, and was just laughing randomly like she did all the time.

Why does this have to happen to me? Along with everything else, why?

* * *

**I hope I made you entertained enough that you liked it. And if not that I proved myself as a writer enough so that you know I can write better than this.**

**This is just not my best two chapters.**

**But in the next one it gets all dramatic again. SO LIVE YOUR LIFE KNOWING THAT I'M NOT A HORRIBLE WRITER. 'Kay?**

**I tried to get Kristina to do like and ending again so she would make it more, um *cough* interesting but she would just say like, the same thing as last time. Or tell a story about the pervert in my class that likes her. He even tries to touch her butt sometimes, it's so gross! It was the one time I didn't wish I had a body as good as Kristina.**

**Oh my gosh, just thinking about it makes me...ugh. *shivers uncomfortably***

**Okay, now review and fave and follow and stuff. And PM if you want. Just make sure that if you send me a message (review or PM) not to scar me or be overly inappropriate or offensive. Just, please.**

**And...GO!**


	11. Chapter 11: Soul Connection

**BASK IN MY NOT-HORRIBLE-OR-TOO-SHORT-CHAPTER.**

**Okay so like I said in my other story I'm leaving to go to Universal for the weekend. So I won't be able to post. And I can't exactly write while riding roller coasters, so.**

**I was going to talk about how I sometimes felt guilty because I'm so spoiled compared to a lot of people like having my own CP and going to Universal all the time (I live two hours away to the one in Orlando, FL. That's right I live in Florida and I'm three blocks away from the ocean. WHAT.) but I don't have time. I can't make an ending in bold too, but you know the drill. Review and all that.**

**OKAY NOW READ.**

**And sorry but I don't have time to edit it either, so there may be some mistakes. I'll fix them later.**

* * *

Five days later, I woke up in the girl's room, exhausted. The advanced training course had been rigorous, putting stress on both physical and mental. I'd also been the one to drag everyone else behind, just like when we had to do that mind connection thing. (Turns out that's what it's called-mind connection.)

Now we were trying to learn about another form of our weapon, like a power up or something. To do it you and your partner need to be around the same wavelength, but you also had to increase your wavelength. It's surprisingly hard. It took Grim and his partners about five seconds, and it looked really cool. The guns turned into these cannons that are on his arms up to his elbows. Max and I, on the other hand, have yet to get anywhere close. Chris and Ann Marie almost made it yesterday, and when she tried to explain it to me, she ended up talking about history. I asked Chris and he was the opposite, barley talking at all.

"You just get it," he said.

Well that helps.

Mr. Stitch is very advanced, so advanced he actually earned the title of the headmaster's weapon, Grim Reaper's scythe. So, like, I'll-never-be-as-good-as-him advanced.

Anyways, since he's so advanced, he can see people's soul wavelength, and can also tell how far consumed by darkness it is. So that means he can see mine, and he even told me I needed to make my soul wavelength stronger to get it to match Max's.

That totally boosted my self-esteem.

Max told me not to worry about it, that we're still a lot more advanced than everyone else, but this is the last day. If I don't get it right this time, it'll be a while before I'll get to practice with the help of a teacher. Mr. Stitch doesn't help much, though. He's more of a "learn by doing" kinda guy.

After I'd gotten dressed (I'd kind denied—just kidding, I'd shoved the clothes back in her face—Megan's kind offer to pick out my outfit) I started dragging myself to the dining room table. I knew this wasn't going to go anywhere, and I really needed another hour of sleep. When I walked in, Grim, Megan, and Heidi were gone.

"Where did they go?" I asked.

"They went early," Chris said. That's the most I've heard out of him in a while. He's talked more since him and Ann Marie almost did the Soul Connection.

"Why do they even go," I said. "They know they can do it." I gulped down some food, hungry from the energy yesterday took out of me. Even though it was made by personal chefs that cook in our enormous kitchen, I didn't stop to taste.

"I've never seen you eat like that," Max said.

"Well, Mr. Stitch says my wavelength is smaller than yours right now, so what can take all of my soul energy is like half of yours or something." I ate another biscuit. "So I'm hungry. And tired. Not a good combination."

"No kidding."

After breakfast, Ann Marie, Chris, Max, and I started walking toward the clearing in the woods. We got there a little after thirty minutes of walking, like before. I saw the familiar pole Mr. Stitch had put up for us to break. It looks like you could just cut through it, but Mr. Stitch enchanted it so that only your weapon's power-up mode could cut it. Or blast it to pieces, whichever works.

Noon came and went without Max and I getting any progress. It was around three o'clock when I found myself on my knees, panting. Max transformed behind me.

"You're pushing yourself too hard," he said. "Maybe you should take a break."

"No," I said between pants. "I'm good. Let's try again. But I'll have some water first." He handed me one of the water bottles sitting in a pile. It wasn't cold, but it was still water. I gulped it down.

"You really should take a break."

"I told you, I'm fine. Now can you transform? Let's just try one more time, the day's almost over." He hesitated, but he turned into a scythe anyways.

_Okay, go now._

We started the process for Soul Connection and even I thought I was pushing it myself; I was really tired and didn't know how much longer I would even be able to stand. But I was determined. I wasn't going to hold everyone else back any longer.

As we connected, I felt all of Max's past emotions. It was like I felt his life-line; getting picked on for being an orphan, getting picked on at the orphanage, and finally just hiding himself from the world. He was ashamed to be an orphan. And then he met me.

There was basically more feelings now, like concern and understanding. He was also more…happy. I had been his only friend in a long time. He's also starting to warm up to everyone else, too. It would have made me happy, but I was mentally celebrating on something else at the time.

_Yes!_ I thought. I was finally doing the soul connection!

Then he transformed.

He was this giant scythe now, a little more round and all red, but he wasn't as intense when Megan and Heidi transformed, more like a glow.

_Oh, God…._ I was struggling to just stand on my feet and my knees were shaking.

_What? _Max thought.

_You're too… _I gasped. _heavy…._

I tried swinging it towards the pole, but missed by a long shot and the swing was way up. I slipped and fell on my butt, breathing heavily. Max transformed beside me and helped me up.

"You really should take a break." I had to lean heavily on him just to stand upright.

"No," I said, still catching my breath. "We almost had it. One more time." The truth was I really wanted to stop, and I probably just looked like I wanted the attention in that helpless-girl sort of way, but what good would sitting do? I mean resting is one thing but we only had like ten more minutes and I was _so _close just a minute ago! Just sitting around never helped anybody. You know, except my health. I tried not to think about that and stopped leaning on Max.

He was about to protest more when Mr. Stitch talked.

"Leave her alone. If she wants to try again, it's her choice. Even if it won't get her anywhere." I looked up, surprised. Mr. Stitch had a glint in his eye I had never seen before. "You know, your mother was a very advanced student. She had even figured out all this on her own with your father." I was familiar with the story that my mom and dad had been partners. Dad had never been very advanced, but mom had pushed him to do better, and soon he was one of the best in his class-other than academics. He was always horrible at those.

"Your mother did not die for you just so you could become an anchor to people around you."

Well, thanks. I appreciate all the positive thoughts.

"Okay, that's just too far," Max told him, wary. I looked down at my shoes.

"I'm right though, aren't I? You've never really been accepted, not even at your own home."

His words cut deep. He wasn't really wrong, though. No one had accepted me at my schools, my dad hadn't accepted me, and in my neighborhood no one accepted anyone. But I wasn't about to disappoint my mom, whether she was breathing or not.

"Transform," I told him, much more composed than before.

"But you were exhausted just a second ago," he said.

"Second wind." Was he trying to make anything I say sound like I was in a drama? Seriously, what kind of question was that?

Probably knowing he wouldn't change my mind, he transformed and I held him in my hand, determination blocking out all my tiredness. I wished that everyone wasn't staring.

I just wished everyone would stop questioning me already. I was the one they invited to come to this school, yet barley anyone actually accepts me.

And that's when I realized something.

I wasn't determined to get them to believe in me; I wanted to convince myself to believe in me. Everything; wanting to be Anna Kate's partner, hesitating to be Ann Marie's friend. Even my behavior, like standing up to that kid and the way I fought that kid in the gym so desperately. And how I keep saying things that sound like I'm being over dramatic because I want attention, when in reality I do. I must have acted like a brat. Then I realized I'd never even _tried_ to be friends with anyone, and that I wasn't grateful for the ones I had at all.

I guess in reality a kid can't go through something like me without getting messed up somehow. All that crying, though...that was real. I _hated_ it. Absolutely and completely, I hate looking weak in front of other people.

So how did I feel about this? Was I doing this just for the attention? I was a while ago, but now this was proving something; I wasn't sure what, but I just knew I had to give it my best with a pure intention and even if I didn't get it and failed completely I still made progress from when I first came here.

_ I thought so. _That was Max.

_What? I'm not sure what you mean._

_ God, you're stupid. Remember the whole mind reading thing? Yeah, it's kind of hard to forget. I just heard all that back there._

I couldn't say anything, not even think. Finally I thought, _Well, that's annoying. Can't I have a moment without someone else getting all up in my business?_

_ Hey, you cried on _me.

_Yeah, but you signed up for it._

He laughed. It wasn't in my mind, though; I guess natural laughing is involuntary. It was coming from him while he was in weapon form, so it sounded different, like it had a slight echo.

His laugh made me melt somehow. I didn't understand; it was the most sad and joyous thing at the same time, like he knew so much more than me. _Let's go, _he said.

The process started again, but it was faster this time and didn't take as much energy. He transformed into the giant scythe again, but this time a blinding light and Max was much less heavy. I swung him toward the pole easily this time, and it just went right through the pole. At least I thought. But nothing was happening, and I didn't feel anything when I hit it. Did I miss?

"Um, Mr. Stitch? What's going on?"

He walked up and started looking at it. I realized that even the wind had stopped to watch my attempt at the Soul Connection. As if on cue, the wind picked up and the pole, along with every tree ten feet behind it slid backwards and fell off their base.

'Dafuq?

"Um…, I stammered, then I pointed at the wreck. "Was that supposed to happen?"

Mr. Stitch smiled back at me. "You tell me," he said. I just looked back, still not sure what to do. "Okay." He clapped his hands together. "If we head back now we should just make it before the week is officially over."

_ Oh, yeah, _I thought. _This was the last day. So basically_… I was thinking. _I got it at the last minute because Mr. Stitch…insulted me? _I probably would have thought about that some more, but the effort it took to do that was starting to catch up with me.

We got back to the camp after half an hour of Ann Marie commenting to find not five carriages, but one bus, the comfy, high end ones that colleges have, like a plane on the inside. Having only ridden nasty public busses, this was a luxury.

"I'm not complaining," I said, facing Mr. Stitch. "but where are the carriages?"

"Well," he started. "The headmaster thought it would be safer to the students if he removed them from the rest of the program." I knew he was hiding something from me-he made it kind of obvious. But I wondered just what he meant by "safer".

"Hurry up, we're late." Mr. Stitch told us.

"Wait, what about our-" he walked off, "clothes." I finished in a smaller voice than before. At least I hadn't brought my school uniform, so I can use that.

I sighed and turned around to look at the bus again. Luckily Megan hadn't heard that bit about our clothes, or she would have offered big time to go shopping with me. Everyone else was already on the bus, and when I walked in at the back of the group my ears were filled with the sound of loud talking. There were animated people talked rapidly about what a great time they had while they were here. I couldn't help feeling a little jealous though, because more than half of the time I was exhausted and the rest I was passed out, forcefully or sleeping. I heard Ann Marie talking to Chris in the seats behind us, but it was hard to focus.

I thought I would be okay until I sat next to Max. The tiredness I'd had before caught up to me with a _BOOM_ and I swayed on the spot.

"Are you okay?" Max asked, not sounding very concerned.

"Yeah, I'm just exhausted. Everything just caught up to me at once."

"Well, you have two hours, if it goes as fast as the carriages, which I doubt. Just go to sleep." He looked back out the window.

"Thank God," I said, leaning on his shoulder and instantly falling asleep.


	12. Chapter 12: Category Five

**Sorry for not posting yesterday but I actually had to write this chapter. *gasp from audience* I KNOW, RIGHT?! To make up for it this chapter is pretty interesting, or at least in my opinion. SO YOU BETTER LIKE IT.**

**I know that's not a good excuse for not posting but after I posted my chapter for my other story because it wasn't that interesting and I didn't want to torture them and make them wait a day just for a chapter I just collapsed on my bed. And it was only 10:30 (I can imagine you people that go to bed at 9 every night shaming me.) It's not badly written, but it's just building up to something. So it's a little boring. BUT IT WAS IMPORTANT.**

**So yeah. Enjoy and I'm sorry.**

**A new character is introduced!**

* * *

I woke at the same time Max did. My head was still leaning on his shoulder and he was leaning against the window. There was a distant noise I couldn't quite place. I sat up and stretched my arms, wondering why it was dark when when Max woke up.

"Why is it dark outside?" I asked him with a yawn.

"We had to keep driving until really late, so everyone fell asleep." He looked up. "Where _is_ everyone?"

I looked up wondering what he was talking about when I realized we were the only ones in the bus and that it had stopped moving. That would have explained why I was awake, but it must have taken time for everyone to get off the bus.

"Wait, never mind, we're at the school," Max said. "I remember they were saying they were going to drop us off here."

"Why wouldn't they wake us?" I asked. He just shrugged.

"Well, let's go." I got up and walked over to the door at the front of the bus and looked outside. Then I realized what that noise was.

"It's pouring outside," I told Max, still looking out. "Like crazy hurricane pouring." I turned to look at him. "We can't go out there; we'd fall over the edge of the stairs. It's lucky we're parked next to a wall or else we'd wake up when we hit the floor two miles below." I wondered if everyone else made it home okay.

"Those are nice and wonderful thoughts, but why did they leave us? And how are we supposed to get out?" I had to think about the first one for a second.

"I have no idea. And we need to wait it out. There is no way we are going out there." I had just finished my question when the bus started to rock. At first I just stood there, eyes open in shock. And fear, of course. The winds picked up and I had no idea how long this would last.

The rocking stopped and I tried to calm down. "It's fine. Everything is going to be—"

"Stop," Max said, putting his finger on my lips to stop me from talking. I hadn't seen him run up here. "Don't even finish that sentence. They say that in the movies and then an ax runs through their head." In the silence that followed I heard a noise, like a camera adjusting. I thought it was just my imagination at the word "movie" but then I heard it again. I took his finger off my lips and started walking toward the middle of the bus.

"What are you—"

"Shhh!" I said, frantically moving my hands to get him to shut up. I looked above where the luggage is supposed to go and found a stray bag. I moved it back and found a camera had been put under it, pointing right at us. I picked it up and looked at the side where a name had been written on it.

"Property of Megan Pine," I read out loud.

"Did you say Megan?" Max asked.

"Yep," I answered. "Smile." I turned around and pointed the camera at him. "You're on camera."

* * *

"What did they expect us to do?!" I had been ranting for about five minutes after promptly smashing the camera and searching the bus for any others, and not in vain. There had been five others placed strategically around the bus and the storm, if anything, had gotten worse in the past half hour since I had woken up.

"It's not like we were gonna go crazy and rip off our clothes! And they left us in a frigging category five hurricane! How the hell are we supposed to get out of here?!" The bus rocked, but I was used to it now. It happens about every twenty to thirty seconds. I hung my head in my hands.

"Why does Megan have such weird hobbies?" Max patted his hand on my back.

"You'll survive."

"Not if the freaking wall gets blown off." My voice was muffled. "We're gonna die."

"And all because you fell asleep after wearing yourself out when I wasn't even tired." I looked up at him, shocked. "I was tired of hearing you complain." He raised his hands in a defensive gesture.

"How long are we supposed to stay in here? I can't sleep if the bus—" Just then it rocked so far it almost tipped over along with the sound of really, really, really strong wind. Then my gut went to my stomach as we fell. I looked at Max, complete fear on my face. My hair started coming up like we were underwater and then water bottles and other trash people left on the bus started floating up around me. Then _I_ started going up.

I reached out to the seat but my fingertips had only brushed it when something strong and firm grabbed my wrist.

"Samantha, get buckled up! Now!" I was about to ask him what reason I had for that when I started floating up faster and I knew he was talking about hitting my head on the ceiling. I pulled on his arm and got next to him but the buckle was broken when I remembered I used it to smash the camera. I just sat (or floated) on Max's lap and wrapped my arms around him. I closed my eyes shut and held on tighter, then wondered why I hadn't screamed yet.

Everything stopped. I opened my eyes to wonder the heck was going on. My hair kept floating like it was underwater and everything else stopped where it was, freezing in air like it was in pause. Then the bus dropped again for what seemed like inches before it hit something solid, hopefully the ground. I just sat there for a second before letting out a short scream and holding on tighter.

"That was a pretty late reaction." I pulled away to look at him. My hands were shaking. "What happened?" He said, seeing my hands. "Did you get traumatized about falling?"

"Of course not," I said sarcastically. "It's not like I was falling to my death or anything." I stood up and got into the chair next to him, then looked at him more closely while I tried to stop shaking. "How can you be so calm?"

"There's a force field that stops you from hitting the ground hard."

I took a shaky breath. "How did you forget to mention this to me?"

He shrugged. I flipped.

I grabbed onto the collar of his shirt and jacket and looked him in the eye. My voice was strangely calm. "We're in a freaking storm. The bus almost tips over multiple times. And you forget to mention a force field that just happens to be made for this situation?"

"You were annoying." There wasn't a trace of guilt on his face. I sighed and let him go, facing the window where I was next to now.

"That bad, huh? I guess I did kind of freak out. First the clothes, and then video tape. I feel like I have no privacy, and Megan has no sense of personal space." He raised his eyebrows at me. "And I'm doing it again." He nodded.

"How are we supposed to get out of here?" I put my head in my hands again.

"The storm stopped." I lifted my head up.

"Really?" I looked outside. No storm.

What did I do to deserve this?

I sat down and just gave up. I didn't really care anymore.

"So what do we do? Start walking home?"

"I guess," he said. "But we'd have to know where we are first." He was right. The neighborhood looked bad, even worse than the one we need to go to now. There's only two places in the town like this, and if this isn't the one we live in…

"We have to go to the other side of town." I finished my thought out loud. "That's just…" I paused before sarcastically giving thumbs up. "Awesome." He put his hand on my shoulder.

"You'll survive," he said, before walking to the front of the bus. He pulled the handle to open the door and it opened more smoothly than I thought it would.

I was glad to get off that bus. Falling two miles isn't exactly what I would call a good experience, and I sighed when my feet landed on the pavement.

"I will probably always have a slight fear of being on a bus now," I said. Max shrugged, probably already knowing this. Just then two guys ran past the alley we were in laughing and looking over their shoulders. I decided it was time to leave.

"We should go now." Max didn't respond. I was looking at his back, so I couldn't read his face. "Max, this isn't a good place to just—"

"Shut up!" he said.

"Why, do you hear something?"

He turned around and looked at me like I was stupid, then said in a hushed voice, "Of course not, I was trying to listen to the pretty music."

Not bad.

I strained my ears to listen, but all I heard was the sound of sirens in the distance. I was about to ask him what he heard when I heard something move behind the dumpster. I spun around to look but nothing was moving and I didn't hear it anymore.

"You heard that, right?" I asked Max.

"Yeah," he said. Apparently he was too preoccupied to tell me to shut up again.

"You should transform," I said. I was getting this uneasy feeling my stomach. He nodded but just stood there.

"Well…?" He looked up.

"What?" he asked. As if he wasn't standing there in human form with someone stalking us from behind the dumpsters. I gestured toward him as an answer and he frowned then looked up at me, confused.

"I should be in weapon form," he explained, partially to himself.

Well that can't be good.

That noise like a body banging against the side of something hollow and metal (oh wait, the dumpster maybe?) come from behind me again. I didn't turn around though—something held me in place. I heard light, timid footsteps behind me but I couldn't turn to look. I could move everything but my legs and torso, so I was still pretty limited. The footsteps got closer and closer—and then walked by me. So now I could see him. Her. What? I know it was a kid about my age but I couldn't tell the gender. "It" (I'll stick with that for now, it's safe) had short pink hair and wore black plaid short that came down to the knee. It also wore a worn dark-green baggy shirt that looked grimy and in desperate need of a wash. It was carrying a sword that looked much too big for his (…her? Ah, I'm conflicted again!) scrawny, twig-like arms.

When I caught a glimpse of his/her eyes they were looking around frantically like a trapped animal. They met mine for a second and they were wide eyed and begging to run away.

Max stepped backwards—how could he step backwards?—and looked into the eyes of him. Her. Person. He was the tallest of the two, but whoever the other one was still had one or two inches on me.

"I'm going to kill you now," it said. Even the voice was fearful, but it didn't give away the gender, either. "She told me to. Victoria did." When it raised the sword Max just averted to the side quickly so that he was next to me in a matter of seconds. Damn, he was fast. I didn't even notice he had moved until the sword-person turned around.

"If you run I'll have to chase you," it said. The sword hit the ground with a clang and I noticed there was sweat on its forehead even though it didn't look tired. The eyes glanced around wildly as if expecting to be attacked at any moment. "And if you run some more she'll make my blood black again. Victoria will."

"Max!" I whispered urgently. He jumped a little bit as if he didn't realize I was there—probably not. Then he sighed, relaxing. Then his eyes got fearful again.

"I don't know how you can live with not being a weapon, I feel like he's going to cut me in half! Her. Him," he said, frowning to himself. I would have laughed at his expression if it weren't for the situation. Then someone cried out in pain.

Surprised, I looked over to see the girl/boy clutching its head in pain and screaming. The sword was on the ground and then the kid was, too. It curled up into a ball, still screaming, when it froze completely and then went limp. I wanted to move and help but I was still frozen in place.

"How can you move?" I asked Max.

"You can't?" he said.

"So what, you think I would just stand there and watch you get cut in half? Yes, I can't move! My feet are frozen and I can't turn," I explained at his neutral expression. I expected him to actually respond especially after his reaction from before but Max will be Max. And Max does not know the meaning of the phrase "facial expressions". Then there was laughter and the shuffling of feet as we both turned our heads toward the broken teenager. Head hanging and knees bent like a puppet not fully off the ground it held the sword limply in its right hand. The sound of its voice was different from before in that instead of fearful and panicked it was…well, it was crazy. I think the black blood had something to do with it.

"She said that you guys can fight now. She said it wouldn't be fun if you couldn't. Victoria did." He looked up and his eyes were wide and there was a grin on his face and I swear it was ear to ear. There was some drool on the side of his mouth closest to the ground—his head was tilting to the side.

I wasn't sure what to do, but I knew I didn't want to just let him kill Max, or me, or both, and I think Max was on the same page because he went into his weapon form. The scythe flew into my hand and I caught the pole tightly, glad I was able to move again. I felt less vulnerable.

_What do we do?_ I thought. _I don't think we could beat him and even if we could I don't want to hurt him. He looks like he needs help._

_ Seriously? He's trying to kill me and you want to help him? _He scoffed. _I sure feel loved._

_Well then what do you suggest?_

Before he could respond there was a familiar laugh and I would have thought I heard it outside of my thoughts except for the slight echo. I looked up and found endless, lifeless eyes staring into mine yet looking through them at the same time. Then there was the voice.

_My blood is black, you know._

* * *

**I wonder if you know who the new character is? *wiggles eyebrows* Just kidding I think you can figure it out. And if not GO WATCH THE ANIME RIGHT. NOW. And if you did and forgot or something watch it again. You are a disgrace.**

**So. Now you should review and follow and favorite. But don't review anything stupid like some people did in my other story. They even got me to rant-twice! The longest one is in the chapter I posted yesterday, eight I think. It's actually pretty funny.**

**Okay I better post this now and get it over with. I have a giant paper due tomorrow that I've only written like, half a paragraph on.**

**Wish me luck!**

**Not really. I always do stuff last minute.**

**REVIEW.**


	13. Chapter 13: Yes, It's a Him

**Hey. So I didn't get the chance to edit because I am DEAD. TIRED. I had a sleepover last night and I've been ready to sleep since six eastern time. And now it's 2:52.**

**Listen, I'm really sorry for not updating. Up until the seventh I had no reason and for that I hope you forgive me. But then my mom took my computer and I'm not supposed to have it right now. I hope you know how much I'm risking for you. I don't even have the time to check all my stories that have new chapters. And I really want to, but it's either that or upload. So there.**

**But anyways last time I uploaded on my families computer while my mom was working I think and my sister was doing something and my dad was in his office. But this time I had to wait until my mom was asleep, run through the hallways because it's dark like a total loser, run back, and then start typing.**

**I seriously can't even think of like, a title. I'll think of one later.**

**I don't even know if you guys want me to keep doing this or care that I haven't uploaded because I haven't even checked the reviews but I only got like three new ones. Shame shame. Like no one's commenting.**

**So I'm not doing a bold ending. I think I'll sleep. You should still review and follow and *yawn* favorite and... *snore***

* * *

Before I could even wonder why the hell an insane person with a claymore is running at me full speed I had to duck from the person with the claymore running at me at full speed. And I didn't even have time to let the thought distinctly pass in the farthest corner of my brain that the only reason I have a chance is because someone thought it would be more entertaining with a fight.

I hadn't exactly gotten the chance to test out how strong this person is but I jumped to the side even though it looked like a casual swing; I didn't regret it when the cement cracked where it was hit. When it swung again I avoided. Again. But it was like they weren't even trying, and they were letting me avoid it easily. Now don't get me wrong; overestimating someone is just as dangerous as underestimating someone; it's just that it ends faster (and, according to most action-dramas, more dramatically) on the latter option. What was I supposed to do? Let it cut me in half?

_What do we do?! _Max thought desperately. Apparently he picked this to be the one time he's not reading my mind without permission. He doesn't respond and I know he's freaked out.

_Hey, are you still shaken up from when you weren't in weapon form?_

_ No, it's something else. The soul of that weapon is weird, like the vibe. _I had no idea what he was talking about. I landed after it avoided another sloppy aim at my middle softly. I was almost up to the wall now, but thankfully it had backed off and given me more space. It was just staring at me with that same mad expression as before with drool on the side.

He let out a frustrated breath. Like mentally. _How can you not read souls yet? Aren't the misters supposed to be able to?_

_ Well, you pick up the waves through the weapon, so obviously I'm not the problem here. _I'd made it sound rude and had intended to, because by the way he sounded he wasn't just blaming me for not knowing what vibe his weapon's soul was giving off.

_If I can read their soul's wavelength then I'm picking up something, _he thought in that same tone. Why is he acting like this all of a sudden, and in this situation? If I'd stopped to think about it I would've realized that it wasn't going anywhere good and that an insane boy/girl was trying to kill us but no. I just had to pour gasoline on the fire and let my true, stupid colors show.

_You don't have to go through nearly as much stress as me! I mean it's going to affect me somehow!_

"I'm not the one that dragged you along into my problems and cries all the time!" Somehow he was in human form and we were shouting into each other's faces.

"You're not being stalked by an Italian guy, forced into weird outfits, and has almost died multiple times since school started! You haven't lived in my neighborhood or gone to my schools! You haven't lived with one person you could trust and then watch them leave because of someone else!" I don't know where all this was coming from. I think I was crying, but I can't remember clearly. Guilt crossed Max's face and he looked like he wanted to say something but I wasn't done yet. "I didn't want to trust anyone, but you made me believe that you were different! How can you blame me for all this when you volunteered? I gave you the option to leave! And you stayed, like an idiot! Because apparently I'm just the girl that 'dragged you along into my problems'!" I swear that was the final blow for both me and him. His expression just collapsed and he looked like he felt horrible. And I was crying my eyes out. Again.

If you've ever sobbed before, you know that you can't really stop them; they're like breathing or a reflex. It just always happens. Plus this was basically the worse situation we could be in, someone about to kill us and all. It was just standing there, watching us the whole time. I covered my mouth and wiped away my snot but some choked noises still came out of my throat.

"Samantha, I—"

He was reaching out his hand to my cheek, but then that black sword came out of nowhere and hit the wall after passing through the space between us. Max and I both jumped back and, effectively, away from each other.

"Victoria doesn't think it's interesting anymore." It was the same voice as before, frightened and timid. "Too bad, she says. I have to kill you now.

"Skyfall—scream." I didn't have time to search its face for clues, but I wouldn't have gotten any from the eyes; they were scared and jumpy but at the same time very much dead. But back to how I didn't have the time—my head felt like it was splitting open. It's not like a brain-freeze because you drank your Slush Puppie too fast. This was more like end-of-the-world-just-kill-me-now pain. I had never felt something so cruel fill up my ears and pool over into pain. Everything was blurry and getting dark, but the sound abruptly ended even though it still rang in my ears. After I didn't feel like dying anymore I looked up and, when they focused, found my eyes processing Max being dangled by his collar by the apparently-very-strong scrawny kid who was now lifting up his sword. Oh crap. He was bringing it back. But I couldn't get up. I threw up and when he was bringing it forward something caused the kid's side to spurt... something. It looked thick even though it was flowing out and it was way to dark. And black. I looked to my right and I saw Grim pointing Megan and Heidi at Mystery Gender and Chris wielding nun-chucks with a surprisingly scary look on his face.

"Oh no, the shinigami is here. Victoria doesn't like it. She doesn't like it one bit." Its eyes were even wider than before, if that was possible. Both Max and the sword fell from its captor's hands and I heard Max gasp desperately for breath. "Oh no, someone's coming. A lot of someone's. There is no hope for Sage now, Victoria won't help him. She'll leave him here to die with you."

What the fuck?

Suddenly gunshots filled the air and everybody ducked. My eyes were closed and when I opened them there was smoke everywhere so I couldn't see anywhere past ten feet. I found the kid from before, knocked out, but no Max.

After the smoke cleared I found… no one.

"Megan?" I called. "Chris? Max?" I was desperate now. "Ann Marie?" I finally called. Even that didn't work. So that must mean they're gone. Where? I don't know. How? I don't know. For all the data I have the gas could've knocked me out like it did to what's-his-name. Or it just got bashed in the head. But why would someone do this? And who?

I have a pretty good idea.

I went back over to the kid and found a big bump on the back of its head. The sword was gone and every trace of whomever those people were that just busted in. They may have left a trace of some sort, but from my untrained eye I couldn't see anything. Honestly, I didn't spend much time there, seeing as near-death experiences always gave me a thrill no matter how many times it happens. Looking at its face, so scared and fearful, I couldn't just leave it. Obviously it hadn't wanted to attack us and that thing about black blood… it was true. The side where Grim had shot it had black staining it, although it wasn't necessarily deep and there was rarely any "blood". I think it was only, like, seventy pounds. So I scooped it up and started walking towards my apartment and waiting until I got there to freak out and successfully hyperventilate in my room. I'd already set him (yes, it's a "him". Sorry, but I had to change the shirt!) down on the couch under a blanket.

_Holy crap! They've been kidnapped! What should I do? I don't have Mr. Stitch's phone number, and even if I did I don't have a phone to call off of unless I went to the front desk at midnight! And what about him? I shouldn't have brought him here! This was a bad idea! Ugh, Megan, this is all your fault! You had to break out your weird thought process and way of thinking on me again! _I walked into the kitchen when I realized I was pacing. I looked into the living room where I had a clear view of him. _Well, he is cute when he sleeps. He can't do much harm… right?_

_ AM I FORGETTING THE FACT THAT HE TRIED TO KILL ME?!_

_ Okay, let's just go to sleep, you're exhausted; there's nothing you can do about this right now. Just lock your door and everything will be better in the morning. _And as much as it sounds like I wasn't as worried as I should be about my missing friends, I was out as soon as my head hit that pillow.

* * *

***Next day after posted. Keep in mind I posted the last one at 2 am.* So I edited it. I can't believe I messed up so much! I must have been _really _tired. BUT ANYWAYS. If I missed anything don't hesitate to PM me about it. No offense but I don't want a review just saying I messed up somewhere. And if you care about the cussing tell me that too and I'll save it for my other story where I cuss like, a lot.**

**DO IT NOW.**


	14. Chapter 14: Blood and Tears

**Btdubs, this chapter took FOREVER to write. It's so long, oh my gosh! Over four-thousand words without the bold print! I hope you enjoy, because I'm pretty proud of this one. I tried to make it extra-long because I've been gone for so long. I hope this makes up for it. Who am I kidding? I am so far behind.**

**Anyways, I think this chapter is interesting. There were a bunch of places where I could've stopped and left you at a cliff-hanger, three places I think. I think I kind of left you at a cliff-hanger, but no one's in trouble of any immediate danger.**

**Please review! No one's really reviewing. Just saying you enjoyed it makes me really happy and want to write more. I spent almost four hours writing it and now I have to go through the whole thing to check for mistakes. You should be grateful.**

* * *

When I woke up at first I just rolled over again, trying to fall back asleep like usual. There was a noise coming from the living room or kitchen or somewhere around there so without thinking I called out the the noise, "Max? Shut up, I'm trying to sleep."

Then I basically remembered everything that happened all at once and it felt like the world was collapsing on me. I almost started to cry knowing everyone was gone and might not come back, but then I thought I was just getting paranoid; with Grim there I'd be surprised if anyone got seriously hurt. Then the realization that I'd brought a boy to my house came back and I knew he would want to leave. So I burst though my door and found him tiptoeing his way to the front door. His eyes widened when he saw me and he tried to bolt. I ran toward him and tried to get in front of the door but since I was wearing socks I couldn't stop fast enough and basically tackled him.

"At least be a little generous—I saved you and then let you sleep on my couch! But you're still not a guest, and I can't let you leave, because you have some questions to answer." I was on top of him with my bedhead-hair going everywhere in a not-so-neat fashion, but I didn't care—I had to find Max. And everyone else. But mostly Max.

And least of all, Megan.

Wait, no, she's a must. When she gets here I'm going to take a fork, a pen, and a bucket of water and make it so she wished she'd never lived.

The boy under me whimpered. I looked more closely at him and he looked really uncomfortable. "I-I don't know h-how to deal with g-girls..." he said as his voice faded off. I frowned at him and got up to bolt the door with a key, which I shoved in my bra since I was wearing the same clothes as the night before, all while keeping one foot on his stomach. He looked a little crushed when I slipped the key into my bra, but I was still mad at him for, oh, I don't know, trying to kill me.

I offered him my hand, which he refused. So I didn't give him an option and just pulled him up and then tugged him to the couch. I sat on the old, worn arm-chair that no one really used while he sat on the couch farthest away from me. I didn't think it was an accident that it turned out like that.

"Are you going to answer any of my questions? Or are we going to have to get Mr. Stitch to come?" He didn't say anything so I just shot away, pausing after every question, but when he wouldn't respond I would just ask another one.

"Who's Victoria? Did you make the bus tip? Do you know those guys that came and kidnapped Max—I mean, my friends?" He didn't say anything. Oh, I know. This one's a doosey.

"Why did you try to kill us?" I got an answer, but it just sent me back to base one.

"V-Victoria told m-me to."

"Who's Victoria?!"

Silence.

"That's it," I said, raising my hands in surrender and standing up. "You're going to regret not answering me when you meet Mr. Stitch." I walked over to him and started leaning in really close to his face and he tried to lean back, but since he was already at the end he had nowhere to go. "He could probably go directly into your brain and dissect the answers from it if he wanted." The boy whimpered and I remembered that I never found out his name. Sighing and plopping down on the couch next to him I asked, "Well, what's your name?"

"Sage," he said, quietly and timidly. "Samantha," I responded simply, not offering my hand because I knew at the most he would stare at it. He still looked frightened, but didn't look like he was being hunted anymore. He also didn't look like he was a corpse back from the dead in the eyes. He, I mean Sage, has really nice eyes. They're like this really clear crystal blue. For some reason though his eyes were red whenever he was trying to kill me.

I realized I was just staring at him and sighed, leaning back into the couch, closing my eyes. I don't think I've ever been so stressed before about something. Even when I was about to die. And I think the full force of this hasn't hit me yet, or I'm just ignoring it, seeing as I haven't blown up in someone's face yet. I mean, when I blew up and tackled Sage that doesn't count because it was a must, because I could _not_ let him go.

Opening my eyes again, I looked over to find him looking at me and asked, "So can you not answer, or _will_ you not answer?" His gaze faltered a little bit and then he looked back at his lap.

"I can't," he said quietly.

"Do you want to go back to Victoria or whatever? Can she still contact you?"

"I don't know," he said.

"For which one? Because you didn't seem very happy when Victoria kept telling you what to do. You looked like she might kill you if you didn't do what she said." I meant it as a joke but he gave me this panicked look and my smile slid off my face. I assumed that meant he didn't want to go back.

"I won't let Mr. Stitch dissect you, but you'll have to answer some things."

"But when I get back V-Victoria will h-hurt me. She'll lock me up in that dark place again." He looked so scared and vulnerable it was all I could do to not tackle him in a hug.

"You don't have to go back. I'll make sure Mr. Stitch let's you stay. And if not I'll let you stay with me, because he doesn't have any say about that." I knew he had a very big say in reality, but I couldn't stand seeing someone go through this.

He just looked down at his lap again and I couldn't read his expression. "Come on," I said, grabbing his hand, which he surprisingly held on to. "We've got to call Mr. Stitch. He'll help my get everyone back, but he's still going to ask you a lot of questions, and you need to answer him or we'll have no where to start." Well, for all I know. Mr. Stitch might know everything that's going on, like he did about my whole life. I wouldn't be surprised if he had pictures of me sleeping. I shuddered at the thought and my neck itched because my hair was still a mess. I remembered I had to change and let go of his hand.

"Don't try to jump out the window—we're on the seventh floor."

* * *

I'd gotten hold of Mr. Stitch and he said to bring "the subject—I mean, Sage" over to the school. I wondered where he lived for a second but then shrugged it off, because I didn't think I wanted to know. We arrived at the school after walking there with Sage one or two steps behind me. There Mr. Stitch took him to his office for questioning, and when Sage came out he looked a little traumatized and hunted again.

"Um, I need to ask you this," I began, but Mr. Stitch cut me to the chase.

"He can't stay. Victoria can still contact him. She inserted the madness, or black blood into him when he was young. At any moment she could order him to kill you."

"What? No! He has to stay! Can't he fight it?"

"You can't fight madness alone," he said. A light gleamed off of his glasses and I couldn't see his eyes anymore, but a creepy grin appeared on his face. "I've learned that the hard way."

"Well, then who helped you out of it? I bet it was a girl, huh." He seemed to think a moment and then glanced down. I realized I had taken Sage's hand when Mr. Stitch had said he couldn't stay. I don't know why I felt so protective of him, but I did.

"I guess you could try, but it would be dangerous. He'll probably crack a few times before it's over." I'm guessing he learned that from experience as well.

"That's a joke, right? When's the last time I've been safe?"

"I guess that's a good point. Alright, you can keep him. But he'll have to stay with you." My eyes lit up and I hugged Mr. Stitch forcefully, stunning him a little and rushing the air out of his lungs with an "oof".

"That's fine! Great, actually!" I let go and looked up at him. "So when are we going to find Max, and, um, everyone else?"

Mr. Stitch pushed up his glasses and was no longer fazed. "Well, he told me what he knew, but it wasn't much. Victoria had gotten Sage one way or another, whether she took him or found him on the street as a baby. She's a witch, and lately witches haven't been on the best terms with us. That's why we had to stop using the carriages." My mind briefly flashed back to when he told me that a bus was safer. "So basically, they're trying to get back at the headmaster."

"Why would they want to kill me?" I asked him, confused. When Mr. Stitch sat down I followed suit on the couch along with Sage who sat next to me.

"I can't tell you that," he said. I couldn't see his eyes again and he was grinning. I was beginning to sense a pattern.

"So what do we do?!" I asked again, eager to get going. The grin and the glasses didn't leave, so I knew I wouldn't like what I was going to hear.

"Well, the only thing we can do right now would be to contact them somehow, or someone who knows something. Since we don't have any of the latter, we're going to have to contact them through you."

"Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah," I said quickly, waving my arms around and finally making an 'X' with them as I said the next part." I am _not_ doing that again. Being shot with a tranquilizer once was traumatizing enough, especially since I had absolutely no idea what was going on."

"I thought you wanted to find Max."

"Well, I do, but could we find a way where I can contact them without feeling like I'm deathly ill? I mean, I guess I can do it your way. His life is more important than throwing up." He just looked at me, his smile widening.

"Wait!" I said, realizing he'd said "Max" and I'd said "his life". "We have to save everyone, not just Max." I had to stop myself from saying "but mostly Max". I mean, it's understandable why I would want him back the most, but I shouldn't be able to single out which one I want to live the most so easily. Mr. Stitch was looking at me like he knew a little too well about what was happening in my thought process. Without anything to say and knowing I'd completely fallen for it, I face palmed.

"Let's just get this over with. What do I have to do?" No one answered and I lifted my head to find I was in a completely different location. I was sitting on the couch in my old house, before mom left. Before everything fell apart. All the colors were more dull than usual, just like I'd remembered from when this happened. There were some hole in the walls or in the rugs or picture frames would be somewhere but the actual picture would be blurry.

Then there were things that were perfectly clear, like the picture of my mom on the coffee table that I still had with me. Then there's the picture that I'd smashed after right before I ran away, perfectly clear, with my mom standing next to my dad with me on his shoulders. I was around three in that picture. The couch was torn up and a bright red but still comfortable. The white rug under it had a red wine stain, exactly the way I remembered it since I was the one who had to try to clean it. My mom had been away and my dad had been drinking and he spilled it. He yelled at me and asked why I wold stain the new rug and then told me to scrub it until it was gone. But it never left, because it was a stain. A red, bold stain. My arms ached for days.

Suddenly noises came from behind me. "How could you do this! No wonder all of our money was disappearing, you're drinking it away!" There I was, in the corner hugging my knees, silent tears pouring and hearing every word perfectly clear. I was still wearing my pigtails back then. I stopped after mom left, since she would always do my hair for me. I also had my old red plaid skirt on and my favorite white gloves that I wore all the time. They're too small now, but I still had them with the picture of my mom tucked away in a drawer.

"I've been working so hard! You said the rent went up! What about Samantha? Huh? What do you think she's been going through?" No one answered and my mom continued with "Do you even care?!"

Something broke against a wall, something ceramic or glass. "That's it. This isn't even a family anymore—there's no love or care. No one to hold it together for the longest time but Samantha. And now even she can't do anything about it."

My old self got up. Her head had been between her knees. Her face expressionless, she walked up to the coffee table and took out the picture of my mom from the case. Then she picked up the family picture with me on my dad's shoulder. I, the old me along with the present me, stared at the picture for the longest time. Little me had no emotion towards what was going on; I remember it was easier to block out. There were some muffled shouts coming from both parents now, but they were indistinguishable and I remembered that I hadn't really been listening by that point. Unlike the past me, I couldn't help myself and let a few tears drop. Wiping my nose with my sleeve, I did my best to not cry. I saw myself fold up the picture of my mom and then put it in my pocket. Then I picked up the family picture and threw it on the ground on the hard wood floor, not the rug. I just stood there, staring. My expression was dead. I'd worked so hard to make sure this wouldn't happen, but my dad didn't care. My mom was right; he didn't care. And this wasn't a family anymore.

My mom came in and put her hands on my shoulders, on her knees, trying to comfort me. I didn't hear her. I just looked at her face with nothing to do, nothing to say. Then I exploded in her face and started shouting at her words I don't even remember. Her expression crumbled and she looked like she was about to cry, but when I was done I shoved her hands off of me and bolted out the room. After I ran out everything froze and then faded back to the room I was actually in. I was feeling a bit queasy and I put a hand on my stomach.

"I don't feel so good..." I said as I covered my mouth and gagged. Mr. Stitch just smiled at me. I think I like him more when he's expressionless.

"Good," he said before I blacked out.

* * *

I don't think it's ever happened so fast before. Usually all my senses went away one at a time. But this time everything just came and went like that. I groaned and stood up when I found out I was lying face-down on the ground. I'd never been here before. It was a large room with a stone floor and it took me a while to adjust to the brightness. My eyes widened in surprise at what I saw—there were two small areas/rooms with prison bars covering them; on the one closest to me, on the left, Grim was sitting down at looking at the ground and Chris was holding onto the bars tightly, tears in his eyes at what he was seeing go on in front of him. In the cage on the right side Heidi, Ann Marie, and Megan took residence. Heidi was sitting Indian style gripping onto the bars like Chris. Her bottom lip was out really far and her eyes were so wide I thought they might pop out, and brimming with tears. Ann Marie was crying and looking along with Heidi, like she wanted to turn away but couldn't. Megan was facing away and leaning against the bars, raising her arm to wipe her eyes or nose every five or ten seconds.

And in the middle and to the front, Max was on a wooden chair with his feet bound to each side of the chair with a rope and his hands behind his back. I couldn't see, but I assumed it was bound with rope also. Since his head was drooping I could see red blood in his white hair, soaked with it in placed. There was a man in front of him, just throwing punches. Max didn't do anything, limp as a doll. I wanted to cry seeing him like that.

"Horrible, isn't it?" I looked to my right at the crackly voice and saw the reception woman from my last horrible experience with night terrors. I found her cruel eyes boring into mine. "We warned you," she said with a twisted look on her face.

"Why are you doing this? If I'd have known—"

"You would have come without hesitation," she interrupted, finishing my sentence for me. Her eyes flashed with something—amusement?—and she continued with "But it's more fun this way, don't you think?" I got up to punch her in the face, but it went right through other than slowing down a little until it was on the other side.

"What the hell do you want from me?! How am I related to all of this?!" I yelled forcefully and loudly, demanding an answer.

"Even though I'm not here, your spit is still gross."

"If you want me to come here so badly, then tell me where it is!"

"See that button?" she said, pointing to a red button on a small remote hanging on the wall next to us, not even ten feet away. "We're going to summon you here with it, but by that time we'll be prepared enough so that you'll have no choice but to do whatever our leader desires. Exactly what she says."

"Is she the one doing all this to me, messing up my life along with my friends'? Your leader?" I practically spat the words out of my mouth.

She smiled before saying, "In a way."

A loud crack sounded behind us and I snapped my head around to see the man land a strong punch on Max's face. He coughed up blood but didn't pick up his head from it's dangling position. Heidi started to bawl and so did Ann Marie. Tears poured from Chris' face but he didn't make any noise. I looked and saw Grim looking at me with a surprised look on his face—was he supposed to be able to see me? I didn't say anything in case he wasn't and the woman made me go away or something. I didn't even think, I just walked up to the man and tried to pull him back but my hand just went through him and I stumbled with nothing to support on. He just threw another punch at Max's temple.

I'd never felt so angry before. Blood rushed to my ears and I couldn't hear anything. Red blurred on the edges of my vision. I kicked his shin and he felt it, reaching down to touch the bruise and cursing. He was big, but I'd never felt so strong before. With some unknown strength, I grabbed the collar of his crappy graphic tee with Max's blood splatters on it. He had a panicked look and was choking. I knew he couldn't see me, and when he thrashed wildly his feet just passed through my legs. Pulling back a huge punch, I sent it towards his face with everything I had. It sent him back several feet, but I was too mad to be proud. Everyone was looking at the guy with scared and relieved faces because of what just happened. They were looking at the guy, so I knew they couldn't see me, but I turned and Grim looked straight into my eyes with a face that wasn't expressionless, but impressed and a little amused.

The red in my vision disappeared again and I could hear the guy behind me scramble up and run away. Max's head was still hanging and the worse case scenario came to me that he was dead. I shook his shoulders and shouted his name over and over but he just looked up and though me. His eyes were expressionless, but he looked around and I strengthened my grip. "Samantha?" he asked, unsure. Something in his eyes lit up and he just looked more... alive.

There were tears in my eyes that he could recognize me by just my touch. I lifted my right hand and touched his abused cheek gently. He leaned into it, and although he couldn't see me, he could feel me. "Samantha," he said, positive now.

"Get her out of here! She shouldn't be able to do anything here!" The shout came from behind me, crackling and getting fuzzy in places. I didn't turn around to check, just picked up a dagger, one of the torture devices for Max. His eyes widened but he didn't do anything. His eyes never left the dagger but I got behind him and held onto one of his arms firmly for something to hold onto. After I sawed through the thin ropes that had dug into his wrists, which were now bleeding, I put it in one of his hands for him to finish the job. Unfortunately I looked up and found a pair of black, isolated hands crawling straight towards me from the other side of the room. Even though they had a lot of ground to cover, they were coming remarkably fast. I ran to the cage for the boys and pounded the green button above the red one, praying it would open. When it did I almost fainted from relief. Without hesitation Chris ran to open the girl's cage and Grim ran up to me.

"Samantha? How did you get here?" Everyone just looked at him like he was crazy except for Max who was free from his ropes and listening intently.

"There's no time to explain! They're coming to take me away!" Unfortunately there was a tight grip on both of my upper arms and when I saw the gross, decaying hands I tried not to scream. They started dragging me away and I was forced to yell as my feet dragged across the ground.

"Press the red button on the remote behind me! It'll teleport us here! Press it before they get recruits!" Then I went straight through the wall next to the remote and fell through darkness.

* * *

**Eee! Don't you just love this chapter? I do. It's fun to read.**

**After I was done reading it through again and fixing a surprisingly small amount of mistakes (I bet I missed a lot) it look like, ten minutes so now I've officially been working on this for four hours. You're welcome.**

**Please review and I hope you liked it!**


	15. Chapter 15: Major Migraines

**I wasn't planning on writing this today, but I did. So you get a treat.**

**Okay, so I'm was mostly posting this because this one isn't that exciting. But I hope you like it! It's like a "calm down and collect yourself" chapter so yeah.**

**Read on and PLEASE REVIEW! You know how after you review and it says "The author would like to thank you for your continued support" or something? Well yeah. I'm that author. I mean what it says. It expresses my feelings.**

* * *

Falling through darkness is freaking scary! You don't know where the ground is! And then you keep going and keep going to a point where if you were to hit the ground you would probably die on impact. The force of the air gets stronger and stronger so that it turns you and flip you and you can only hope you don't land head-first. So yeah. It was scary.

I kept falling until I landed in something freezing cold, like ice water, but I'm not sure what I landed on; my head, my side? There wasn't really an up or down anymore. I thought that if you fell from high enough and landed on water it would have the same effect as landing on cement. But apparently not. It was like the water more slowed me down, and then pulled me down. I could feel it pulling me towards the bottom, like something was waiting for me down there.

All my nerves were screaming at me to GTFO of there; it was like every part of my body was being picked at by a needle. A freezing needle. My head was getting a major migraine, like the cold was going straight into my head.

And let's not forget the fact that I couldn't breathe. That was a problem, too. So I kicked my legs and forced my arms to move with them. They felt stiff in water so cold, like it had turned my joints to ice and they couldn't move like they were supposed to. It felt like they were creaking under the pressure.

When my head broke the surface I gasped in long-overdue air, but there was light behind my closed eye-lids. And I wasn't freezing. There was still a cold feeling deep in my bones, and I wanted a blanket. I wasn't freezing, but I was cold. Not temperature wise, but as if my core itself was cold.

I opened my eyes and found... a ceiling. That doesn't exactly get me anywhere, does it? Groaning and putting a hand to my migraine I propped myself up to find Sage on the other chair behind me and Mr. Stitch on the same chair as before. I was lying face-up on the couch where Sage and I had been before.

"How long have I been out?" I asked Mr. Stitch, almost regretting it from the pain in my head. If I didn't talk it would start to fade though, like slowly going deaf.

"Less than a minute."

"Max—" I immediately cut myself off and cursed under my breath, which I also regretted, because apparently whenever I talk I get a sharp pain to my head and then it would fade. Like a bruise. It hurts at first, then it fades, then you hit it again. It hurts more than before.

"Are y-you okay, S-Samantha?" Sage asked me. He said my name slowly, like he was tasting it to see if it felt right on his tongue. Since I couldn't talk I just shook my head slowly. My hand was still on my head.

"Here," Mr. Stitch said, walking over to me. He came form around the corner, and I wondered where he could have gone to so fast. He certainty is strange. _Well, there's Grim, who's like, emotionless, Heidi who doesn't exactly act her age, Ann Marie who talks A LOT, and Max, who can actually deal with all of me. And Megan. She has the weirdest hobbies known to man kind. _I guess I do attract odd people. _I guess Chris is the normal one?_

No, he can deal with Ann Marie. Sage has a weird past and is really shy and apparently mad. Then there's Mr. Stitch. I don't even know where to start with him.

Mr. Stitch handed me a notepad and a pencil. I started writing frantically, using as little letters as possible. This is what I wrote:

_Every1 is b-ng hld at some plce and grim's gona summon us ther so we can hlp thm escape. _

Sage looked like the most confused person ever, and with good reason. Mr. Stitch looked like he needed more information. The pain was pretty much gone, so I tried talking again and was relieved when the pain didn't get any worse.

"When I got there with the reception lady who apparently took me there Max was being tortured and everyone else was being held in cages and almost forced to watch. So I made the guy stop hitting Max and Grim could see me and he asked me what I was doing but no one else knew what was going on except for Max since he could feel my touch or something and I used a dagger to cut his ropes and opened one of the cages and I told him that he needed to press the button to summon us there that the reception lady told me they were going to use to teleport us there when they were ready and had the recruits or something like that when hands started dragging me backwards and then through a wall and I fell really far and it was pitch black and then I fell in water and swam up and here I am."

Sage looked really, really confused, but Mr. Stitch had understood me perfectly, even though I was this close to hyperventilating and sounded like Ann Marie.

"Why did the hands drag you away?"

"Because they said I shouldn't be able to do anything there and I kind of freed them."

He thought about it for a second and then said slowly, "There's good and bad news about being able to save them." He stopped and looked at me and I urged him on with a look that said _Now is the time to rush._ "Good news is they probably would've died if you hadn't been able to." Seemed pretty good to me. "The bad news is that they know you have more of the power than they thought and that you are absolutely the person they're looking for."

"Well, they were already trying to get me, right? So it doesn't matter that much," I said, voicing my thoughts.

"Yes, but now they need you more. They're going to take you more seriously and try to get you faster."

"Whatever! Now what are we gonna do about the whole saving everyone thing? Who are they gonna summon? Is it like everyone around that person? Wouldn't it just be easier for them to teleport me there?"

"I have no idea."

"WHAT?!"

"It could honestly be any of those. But if there aren't any recruits yet like you said, then any of them should be fine."

"Wait. Isn't Grim supposed to be pressing the button like, right now? Oh, crap! What if this whole thing is a trap? Why would they have the remote there with everyone else? Maybe it summons like a bunch of demons or sets of an alarm! What if it raises—"

"I honestly just think she was having fun rubbing it in your face."

"Well, she did say it would be more fun that way... but that would just be too easy. Nothing's been so easy."

"Samantha!"

"What?" I said, frantically looking around for the voice. It sounded like Megan, but no one else heard it.

"It's... everyone." Holly crap, that sounds like...

"Max! Are you okay?!" Everyone was looking at me like a crazy person, including two guests walking by.

"Samantha! It was horrible! Can you believe what they did to Max? And they didn't give us any water or food! Did you know that can result in becoming extremely sick and insanity?"

"Ann Marie!" everyone, including me, said at the same time. Then everyone said a bunch of different things at the same time like "Now is not the time" or "Could you please shut up?" I said "It don't care!"

"Listen, there's a time limit. We're only using the remote so that we can reach you. It was a trap." I think that was Grim's voice.

"Told you it was a trap," I said to Mr. Stitch.

"What? You told us to press it!" Megan, definitely. It was too aggravated to be anyone else.

"Never mind! Just go! There's a time limit, right?"

"Hold on to anyone you want to come with you! Ten seconds!"

"Who wants to come?"

"I have to stay to keep things in order here. You're not the only thing being targeted. Don't worry; I'll take good care of Sage." Mr. Stitch's glasses glinted and Sage whimpered.

"Five seconds!"

"Sage! Are you coming?"

"Who the hell is Sage?"

"Shut up!" I told Megan.

Sage looked from me to Mr. Stitch several times before finally nodding at me and glancing at Mr. Stitch nervously.

"What do I have to do? Like, embrace them? Hold their hand?" I had his hand in mine, but I don't think he would be too comfortable with my arms around him.

"It doesn't matter!"

Suddenly there wasn't any light and I felt like I was floating without any gravity. Again. It was dark and it felt like forever but I knew it was less than a second. It was really boring, and I would've thought I'd be stuck there forever if I couldn't feel Sage's hand. Couldn't see him, but I could feel him. Then everything tilted and suddenly there was gravity to the right of me. So I fell to the right, and on top of Sage.

"Oh god, another migraine." At least it doesn't get any worse when I talk. I picked my head up off of Sage's chest while he whimpered and my eyes zoned in on one person: Max.

Next thing I know I'm practically flying across the space between us and tackling him in a hug so forceful I almost knocked him over. "Max! Thank god you're okay!" I leaned back to inspect his face which had healed significantly. "You are okay, right?" I didn't give him a chance to answer.

"There's still blood in your hair. You have a black eye. Your wrists have scars on them. And what about your ankles, huh? Are they bleeding?"

"What about us?" Megan asked as Heidi giggled.

"You're fine, stop whining." My eyes never left Max's face and I was still inspecting him, about to say something else when he hugged me, although not as forcefully.

"I missed you too," he said. Then he pulled back with his hands still on my shoulders. "Grim did something so that they'll heal faster." Someone pulled on the corner of my shirt and I turned around to find Sage looking around nervously as Max took his hands back.

"I don't think they like me," he said quietly. I looked around and everyone was pretty much glaring at him except for Heidi, who was lying on her back looking at the ceiling and pointing saying "That one looks like a bunny! And that one's a plane! And that one's a ceiling!"

"Um, guys," I said, kind of guarding him since he was basically hiding behind me. "This is Sage. It's not his fault that he sorta kinds tried to kill me and Max." What a great way to start. "It was Victoria, his evil step mom. Witch. Thing."

How could I be so stupid?

"I got permission from Mr. Stitch. He says it's okay."

"No offense, but hearing from Mr. Stitch isn't exactly... reassuring," Ann Marie told me, trying to sound as nice as possible. Megan and Max... if looks could kill, then Sage would be dead as a door nail. Or ash. It was like they were disintegrating him with their eyes. I got a little mad about Megan.

"Megan!" I snapped, walking up to her. She looked up in surprise and then fear. "You have no room to be mad! If you and your weird, perverted thoughts hadn't come into this then none of this would've happened!"

"No!" she insisted, backing up. I think right about then I had a black aura around me and my eyes had been replaced with flames. "I didn't think you were going to do anything! It was just... for fun?"

"What did you think, we were gonna have a tea party?!" She tripped and fell on her butt but her eyes never left my face I crouched next to her and whispered into her ear.

"When we get out of this mess, I am going to ransack your house and put Mr. Stitch in your room while you're sleeping **[1]**." A look of complete terror filled her face and she stared off into the distance. "Maybe I could video tape it and watch it later. Because I'm sure nothing traumatizing would go on." I stood up and said, in the sweetest voice I could, "Kay?"

She jumped up and ran over to Grim, then hid behind him. "S-Samantha can be sc-scary..." Sage said quietly while I was walking back. I just sighed when everyone nodded in agreement, except for Heidi who didn't know what was going on and Grim who was trying to get Megan off.

"You should've seen her when she first found out. Practically ripped the bus to shreds."

"We saw. You missed one and that's how we knew where you were." Ann Marie was actually trying to say as little as possible. I guess I went a little overboard with Megan.

I guess that made sense, but if I thought about it some more I just might explode again. "A-Aren't we supposed to t-try to esc-cape?" Sage said next to me. That would probably be a good thing to do.

* * *

**[1]: Okay, so I didn't make this up but I just laughed so hard when I read it and had to use it somewhere. vanpyrekitty wrote it in a review so yeah. TANK YA FOR MAKIN MAI LAUGH. And reviewing. I mean, it was a threat, but it was still funny since the horror of it hadn't sunk in yet.**

**So. The crew is reunited, possibly with a new member.**

**REVIEW! I do appreciate your support. I AGREE WITH THE SITE. You know, if it's supporting. Not if it's like a death threat.**

**I'm not sure how long it took to write this, but I woke up at noon (hey, it was cloudy!) and then just started writing, so not nearly as long as yesterday. And yesterday I did two super long chapters, longest EVER for both of them! Since today is the last day of my vacation, it'll defiantly take longer than it did yesterday since I don't have that much time to write because I get home later than most; four thirty. It starts at 9:45. And I'm eastern time. I get to wake up at 7:45, but I have to leave for the bus at 9. I bet a bunch of you are jealous. Well, you should be.**

**I've noticed (not just now) that my beginnings and endings aren't nearly as long as they used to be. I mean, I think. I know for my other story they've defiantly gotten shorter since I had to rant a bunch of times.**

**Wait, I do have something else to say! Okay, so this is like the perfect opportunity for the climax of the story. But that would also mean it would end faster. I don't know if you like my story enough to want it to go longer, and if you do then that's cool. But if you don't then the up side is that you get to get to the really good parts faster. So yeah. I'll let you think about it.**

**Since I actually had something to say my bold ending was long...**


	16. Chapter 16: Split

**First of all, I want to let you know that I've felt like a jerk for the past month. If you haven't read the story Sigh I posted, do that and it pretty much explains everything. I didn't expect it, but people actually ****_followed,_**** even only after the first one. That didn't happen to either of my other stories, so I guess it must be pretty good. There's even one person *cough SoulXMaka99 cough* who has followed and reviewed all of my stories because of the first one. So yeah. Thanks.**

**And, like I promised, I have her a special fluff chapter that really doesn't relate to the scheme of things and was pretty much optional. It's not as fluffy as the other chapters, but... well, I guess this is a crucial chapter. It was about time Samantha started to at ****_least_**** get confused about her feelings towards Max. So yeah. They start to show.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

I had to try really hard not to cling to Max the whole time. And I mean _really_ hard. Sage clinging to my arm was the only thing keeping me from doing the same to Max. Everyone had finally stopped killing him mentally and focused on their surroundings, but only because they were on edge. Even Grim looked a little jumpy, even if it was barely noticeable. After around ten minutes, Megan was already impatient and we were successfully lost. We were walking down hallways that seemed to go on forever when I noticed a door appear to the left in-between two others. Grim had told us to avoid the doors as much as we could, which was good because there were _a lot_ of doors. They were pressed together as much as they could without overlapping, tall wooden doors with frames for each one that all looked the same. There wasn't a pattern. There were just random gaps or random doors all lined up. Megan had been mumbling about how this escape mission was turning out to be pretty lame when the door appeared.

"Hey, did anyone else see the door just now?" I asked, more doubting than weirded out. I guess that would explain the weird patterns, but I could just be imagining things. Maybe it's because Sage is practically cutting off my arm's circulation. Seems close enough. Max keeps sending him these death glares. I mean, if Megan has gotten over it, then you must really want to keep a grudge. But the weird thing is that he started doing that _after _we started walking down the hallway, not when he first saw him.

"Samantha, there are a lot of doors."

"No, one just appeared out of nowhere."

"Well, yeah. Grim already explained that they appear and disappear, immediately backed up by Ann Marie. That's why we're supposed to avoid them." At the mention of Ann Marie I turned around and looked for her, since I noticed I wasn't being annoyed by her voice, only to see her talking to Chris a few steps back from everyone else. Not that there's really a reason to sneak—we hadn't run into or seen a single life form, unless the moving doors count. But that's scary. I actually got used to Ann Marie's constant talking. Just the fact that it's even possible blows my mind. The weird thing was that Chris was actually listening. I've noticed that he doesn't zone her out like everyone else and never told her to be quiet. I guess he's the one person that hears what she has to say. That doesn't exactly shine a bright light on my friendship with her, but at least she has someone.

Needless to say I felt pretty stupid. I guess I hadn't been listening when he'd said that. I'd been pretty concerned with Max after the whole beating-him-to-death thing, which is understandable. I felt a blush creep up my cheeks and I felt more than a few pairs of eyes on me. Seriously, just because this place is boring doesn't mean you have to stare at me when I'm embarrassed.

"Well excuse me for being concerned about other things when my partner almost got killed. Again." Everyone shut up at that, except for Ann Marie who had missed the whole conversation. She was just sort of a hum in the background though, because even though she talked a whole-fucking-lot she wasn't that loud. Thank God.

"Okay, does anyone have an outline of where we're going or are we walking aimlessly?" Unfortunately, everyone knew the answer to that all too well, even Megan, although she was the one that asked the question. She got even more annoyed at the unspoken answer.

"These people acted like their place was loaded with guards," Megan said after a few minutes, a little louder than was necessary. "Where are the guards?" It was more of a pissed statement than a question. I'll admit, it was getting really boring. It was like one of those tests where you put someone in a room with a bell and nothing to do, then tell them to ring it after an hour. Most people last like, twelve minutes. Apparently Megan would be one of those people, if she could go that long. I mean, it's been longer than twelve minutes, but a life-or-death situation is not the time to get impatient. Not that I have any say after yelling at Max and causing the whole thing, along with Megan.

"Look!" someone yelled from down the hallway to our right. All of our heads whipped towards the source of the noise to find a gruff man looking right at us and pointing. Someone ran up to him and his eyes widened, then thinned, and next thing I knew someone was pulling me forward and someone else was pulling Sage backwards and then there was a breeze violently pulling my hair with it coming from the hallway. Then there was the sound of cracking and then crashing and then there was dust everywhere. I coughed as I tried to get up and waved away the dust as my eyes watered. I didn't have a chance to figure out what happened because I was being pulled forward again. When the dust was behind me, I realized it was Max pulling me. Ours were the only footsteps I heard, and then there were other ones hurriedly following us and getting louder. There was another whizzing sound and a piece of rock fell from the ceiling and hit my hand. I instinctively let go, and then regretted it when I realized I'd fallen behind by a few steps. I couldn't exactly call out his name, but I followed him as fast as I could when he rounded the corner. But there was no one there when I rounded the corner. This hallway was shorter than the others, so maybe Max had already rounded the other corner a little up. However, I was only preparing to sprint some more when two hands sucked me into one of the many doors, one around my stomach and the other over my mouth.

When the door closed in front of me, I bit the hand over my mouth when I was over the shock and panic. When I heard a repressed moan I immediately recognized it to be Max and I shied back, stopped squirming, and sunk into him as my apology, since I couldn't really say anything. He didn't move his hand back, even though I'd bit his finger pretty hard. I'd even tasted blood. Hm. Max's blood. It's unexpectedly satisfying.

I had this strange urge to lick him where I bit him, too. But I quickly crushed the thought after giving it a weird look. I mean, that's because it _is_ weird, right? Normally you don't have the urge to lick your partner's wounds. Well, I'm assuming. Licking your partner's finger wounds isn't exactly a daily topic.

We stood there for a while before Max said anything.

"Do you hear that?" He didn't sound stressed or anything, so my answer was like a question.

"No...?" The fact that I actually answered forced me to realize his hand had dropped down, probably unconsciously, to my waist along with his other hand. Not that I particularly minded.

"Exactly."

I realize I hadn't heard the footsteps of the running men behind us, because they'd never come. In fact, there wasn't any noise. It felt stuffy in there, like all the sound was being sucked in by the particles around us, as if they were acting as acoustics. Choosing to completely ignore the voice screaming at me that had the reason for the non-existing footsteps, I walked forward and tried opening the door, not really expecting anything. But when I pulled on it the door wasn't reluctant, or even stuck to the wall like a decoration, but it was as if there was a vacuum on the the other side keeping the door shut. A _very_ powerful vacuum. I sighed at how often these sort of things seemed to happen to me lately. Then I slid down the door and pulled my knees up to my chest. Max sat beside me Indian-style.

"About before..." he said. I looked over at him but his hair was covering up his expression. "In the alley. I didn't mean what I said. I guess I was a little jealous because everyone looks up to you and I'm just your weapon, the kid with white hair that no one noticed until I partnered up with you. And then I was in a chair being beaten and I just... thought I wouldn't ever get to say I was sorry. That things would just be left as they were." He took a shaky breath and I just sat there, gawking.

"You're really important to me, Samantha. I didn't want you to think I used you from the beginning just because I could."

_Whoa._ He looked up and I realized I'd muttered it aloud. He looked a little confused at my expression, which was probably a mixture of a mother looking at her newborn and amazement. I'm not sure whether it showed up on my face, but just thinking about what could have happened if I hadn't been able to save him made me incredibly sad. And he had tears on his face. Like, actual tears. I realized I'd never seen him cry before. Maybe if it was under different circumstances the urge to hug him wouldn't have been so hard. But it was, and there was no point in fighting, so I lunged at him, but just enough to catch him off guard and push him back a little. I hadn't even realized I'd been crying until Max reached up his arms to wrap them around my shaking back. I managed to choke out some wavering words.

"I never thought you'd do something like use me. It was my fault for urging on the argument. If I hadn't gotten up in your face then none of this would've happened." I just got really scared. I didn't want to lose the person closest to me. " I meant every single word I said, even if I wasn't sure some were intelligent enough to understand. "I'm so sorry."

For a few seconds I sat there and thought about how nice it was to have Max back. I'd freaked out every second he was gone, but he could change my mood in a second and suddenly the birds outside would be louder. He could also bring me to tears. He's done it more than once, but not because of him. Not until now. And thinking about how death of one or more of our group was such a big possibility in this place, especially when we're split up from them, it made this weird feeling settle in my stomach and it wouldn't leave. But then I would take another breath and the smell I'd missed so much that lingered in the apartment would fill my mind and take up all of my brain, and I wouldn't really care anymore. I felt comfortable enough to just go to sleep.

I opened my eyes groggily and realized I _had_ gone to sleep. Instantly waking up when I realized, I heard the deep breathing of Max which my back was now leaning against. His breathing didn't only cause his chest to rise and fall, but me as well since I was leaning on him. I was warm from sleeping next to him. I scooted away from him and turned around only to wonder how we'd both somehow remained in a sitting position.

I watched him breathe in and out. His cheeks looked so soft and I wanted to run my fingers through his thick, messy, white hair. His breathing made a soft breeze on my cheek and slightly pulled and pushed on my bangs. Our breath swirled together and it was like after it mixed it threatened to suck me in as he took another breath. It was so tempting to just keep leaning forward...

When I realized that I hadn't been able to feel his breath before, I realized just how close our faces were. My half-closed eyelids snapped open and I almost got my arms tangled together trying to get back. _Had I been about to kiss him?!_

_…_

_Yes._

_WHAT?!_

Seriously though! That was highly unexpected, so much so that it hadn't even crossed my mind I might do something like that. Before I could kick myself further or control my blush Max woke up and blinked at me.

"Hey Max. I was just about to wake up. Not sure how long I slept. Oh well, there's no use in worrying about it, right? We should probably go see if the door will open." I jumped off the ground as Max stood up and flung myself at the door, which opened surprisingly and almost caused me to stumble forward. Crap. I was still been in panic mode when he'd woken up, so I ended up blabbering. And I can feel the heat coming off of my own face.

The first thing I noticed was that all the doors were there, and I mean all of them. There weren't any gaps, just rows and rows of doors. And the only lights on were red.

"Looks like they have the back-up power supply on," Max said, then stretched his back and popped it with a satisfyingly loud sound. As soon as my feet hit the tile outside of the door, alarms went off and I instinctively flinched and covered my ears with my hands, then took them off when I could. This time two girls ran into view instead of the gruff men from before and my heart dropped into my stomach.

We just couldn't catch a break.

* * *

**Hoped you liked it! I'm not sure how many of you noticed this, but I haven't posted for this story in three weeks. I don't know, I just kept getting these ideas for other stories in my head and I had to write them before I forgot and started to hate myself. Hopefully you don't want that. And personally I think they didn't go to waste. I have like, four more stories now (like fifteen in all) that no one has seen (not even Kristina) and that don't relate to Soul Eater. I work on them when I want, which I guess isn't that different from the two you know about, other than Sigh. Sorry, but I cannot have three stories going on at once. Not that I'm sure you were hoping for it or not. But yeah. I should stop flattering myself. It's still hard to believe that people actually like what I write, and more than a few have told me that Megan and the Burnouts (it now has over 70 reviews!) is their favorite. And people have told me they really like this story. I know it's not as good as Megan and the Burnouts, but that's because this one is older.**

**ANYWAYS. Please review what you think! I want to know whether I'm writing what you want to read or not. I guess I can't really ask you to follow or favorite at this point, but it would be nice to click the checkbox of "favorite" or "follow" in the review box. It really boosts the numbers. I know because there was an author I was obsessed with and I did it for every one of her twenty chapters. She thanked me.**

**Oh yeah, and when you review and it says "The author would like to thank you for your continued support" or something like that - that's me. I'm that author. It speaks my thoughts.**

**Remember that.**


	17. Chapter 17: Shuriken and Keishan Souls

**I'm sorry for not doing this. I have an excuse, but it's just an excuse, and there really shouldn't be an excuse, so I'll just work harder. All my big crazy tests are over leaving some big crazy projects which may or may not be as bad, I'm not sure, but I've had enough time to upload this and another story so yeah. I'm back on track and my story Sigh is getting closer and closer every day I sit down and write, which is a lot, just like it used to be.**

**Uh, so that's it I guess. Enjoy!**

* * *

Immediately I thought of running again, but realized that was probably a bad idea. Max must have had the same thought because he transformed into my hands. It felt weird to hold him again in his scythe form, familiar but strange since I hadn't fought with him for a long time. I sung him around to get used to his weight while one of the woman in front of me transformed into a… a Frisbee?

_Idiot, that a chakram. _When I pulled up a blank yet again, he sighed and started explaining, trying to make it quick.

_It's an Indian thing. Mostly long-range, but judging by the spikes on that thing it could be used for close-range, too. _I'd never found out whether I liked short or long range better, but when you're so much better than most of the people at your school long range is usually easier because you can just run up and attack before they can do anything. However, if the opponent is too strong you can't even get in their range long enough to attack.

I was glad Max made it quick, because the tall, fit woman with ashy blonde hair—the meister—was throwing her arm back like she was in the Olympics. My eyes widened as she threw it. I tried to avoid it early, but of course it was like a heat-missile or something.

_Should I run? Should I block it? Should I hide?_

Max didn't have time to answer and I prepared to block the attack. As it got closer and close I realized how fast it was going and chickened out, jumping to the side at the last second. My decision was hesitant, though, and the chakram was a little too close to my thigh for my comfort.

My desperate attempt at dodging didn't give me the best footing and I slammed myself into the wall. I sarcastically patted myself on the back as Max inwardly winced.

_Come on, I can block it or I would've told you. _My mind flashed back to the mission trip where Max's soul was so much more powerful than mine. Before I would have been bitter about it, but a life-or-death situation isn't the time or place for that.

_Watch out behind you! _I turned around to see the chakram coming at me full speed.

_Dude, don't forget about her! _An image of the blonde girl running behind me popped into my head.

_You're not helping! _I snapped. I thought of something and Max braced himself.

Not breaking my gaze with the chakram hurling towards my face, Max was taking a while. _It's getting a little close. Where is she?!_

_A little more… _Max wasn't giving any specifics as I continued to back up.

_Max!_

_I think they know what we're thinking because they're coming at the same time!_

I felt the urge to face palm, but figured that wasn't too great an idea with a scythe in my hand.

Even Max was panicking, but there was only so much time to think with a weapon shooting towards your face, so I started running towards it and dived on the ground—even if the chakram was a missile, it couldn't turn that fast. Sure enough, it shot right by me. I turned around, trying to scramble to my feet, but by the time I'd flipped so that I was facing the ground instead of the ceiling, someone else lifted me up the rest of the way—by my collar. It hurt.

As I squirmed to get a solid kick on her shin, the weight in my hands lifted and I saw the woman's eyes widen before Max punched her face.

She dropped me in surprise and I grabbed Max's hand as he changed back. With the pole that barely stuck out from the blade, I jabbed her sharply in the chest while she was still recovering and she stumbled backwards. The blade was dangerously close to her neck, but my gaze faltered.

_Should I do it? I don't know if I have the guts to kill someone, especially if it's be as gory as cutting someone open or their head off or as equally traumatizing for a fifteen year old._

_Well, not for a sixteen year old. Do it before she takes the chance!_

Unfortunately, it was a bit of a late notice and my hesitation changed to fear as a sadistic smile representing Mr. Stitch's stretched out across her face and the chakram in her hands changed into five or six shuriken, one of which she simply brought back to flick at me.

_Block it, you idiot!_

Doing as I was told, I brought the scythe over just in time to keep part of my calf muscle from being chipped off. She obviously wasn't expecting such a quick reaction, and I swung the scythe around so that the end without the blade was in front of me.

_Don't cut yourself in half! _Max scolded as he got the blade to disappear.

_Oh, yeah. Uh, thanks._

I jabbed her in the stomach, at which she let out an "oomph" and the shurikens she was holding fell out of her grasp. Then, holding in my breath and trying not to look away, I brought the pole over my head and swung it down so that it hit her head with a sickening _thunk._

Her eyelids slip closed and her now-limp body fell to the floor that she had already been sitting on. Her partner wasn't so happy and transformed into a human at the same time Max put the blade back on. I flipped it around and watched in surprise as her hand turned into a sword.

She was running towards me just as fast as her chakram form and I went and did it. Swinging Max desperately, I cut horizontally through her shoulder down to her hip. The look of surprise was evident on her face and even more so on mine.

"Oh my God," I breathed as her pieces lied on the ground. I was beginning to feel sick with a red orb took the place of her body.

"Finally!" Max was back in his human form and I just stared at him as he plucked the thing out of the air and started chewing it, making his cheeks bulge, before he quickly swallowed what looked the still-not-chewed… whatever that was.

"I've heard of those before," Max said, wiping the drool off of his face. "It was just as delicious as they say."

"Um, what was that?" Then I remembered pretty much what they'd been teaching us all year. "A keishan soul."

I realized something. "But… how was their soul so corrupted if… they're… if they're still human?"

He shrugged. "Maybe they were just bad people. I mean, they tried to kill two tenth graders." He had a good point, but I was just glad that the bloody mess was gone. My relief was short lived and I stared disbelievingly as Max as he turned his forearm into a scythe and cut open the other woman that seemed to be her twin.

"Does it really taste that good as to cut someone open that you don't have to?!" I asked annoyed as he plucked yet another soul from the air.

"It's our job to do this, right?" he asked after he was finished swallowing the thing that looked much too big to go down his throat without him choking it back up. "I mean, they both had red souls, humans have blue souls. Don't witches have red souls, too?"

I frowned. "I thought those were purple."

"Weren't those cats?" I just shook my head, realizing this conversation was pointless.

I opened my mouth before a distant noise cut me off and I closed my mouth abruptly before saying to Max in a hushed whisper, "People are coming! What do we do?! Where do we hide?!"

He looked at me like I was being too stupid for my own good before whispering in my ear, "There are doors surrounding us and you're asking where to hide?"

"Would you please get yourself in a better position?" I shot at him.

"But I think this position is just fine," he protested teasingly in my ear, getting some of the hair to rise slightly before resting back down near my ear.

To be honest, I was completely fine with the position as well, but it was embarrassing to even think about. We were pressed against each other so tight that I'm sure he was completely aware of my sudden increase in temperature. _Stop it! Now is not the time to get embarrassed! _Of course that just made me think about my back pressed against his and his arms protectively wrapped around my stomach and I lost it again.

"Well it's making me uncomfortable." I shivered as he rested his lips on my neck, and then stiffened when I was in control again.

"So your partner being close to you makes you uncomfortable?" he mumbled into my neck as I tried not to die from Max Overdose.

"Uh, yeah." I was glad that I hadn't sounded as breathless as I thought I would.

His arms started wrapping themselves further and tighter around my waist. "In a good way or a bad way?" I hesitated before answering.

"Isn't there only one way when you're being hunted down?" I whispered.

Being squashed this close wasn't my choice, although if I told him not to do that seriously he would stop. I think we got shoved into a closet that was only six feet deep where four feet was contained by clothes on a rack. At first I thought he was just pulling me in to close the door, but then he didn't change position and this happened.

I felt him smirk, seemingly seeing through my vague answer. Luckily there was no more discussion as the hurried footsteps continued to come down the hallway. I wondered why she hadn't heard us, but then I realized she was talking to someone, probably on a cell phone.

"As if that's realistic enough! That girl sure as hell couldn't take down two of them!" A pause as we both stiffened. "Well, that's true, they don't seem to be here…"

I grabbed Max's hand as she stopped in the hallway with the door to her left and maybe six feet in front of her.

"Really?" She stopped to listen. "That's… impossible." She listened again. "Not even The Leader can do that." I heard the importance and respect she put on the words "The Leader".

"Are you kidding? Ever since those idiots pulled the plug, all the doors have appeared and they could be anywhere! Before you ask, no, I can't sense her soul or anyone around her. She has a field. Inherited that from her mother, I know. I remember one time I thought Jackson ran off but he was just being clingy." Well, that confused me.

I thank the Lord to this day that she started walking again. I really couldn't take any more people fighting with me or trying to kill me or whatever the hell they were doing. It sounded like she was wearing flats as she walked away with quick, long strides.

"We should probably wait a couple minutes," I whispered to him after she'd gone away and I couldn't hear her voice anymore.

"Okay, but I want to sit down." I noticed with some good and bad emotions that he no longer had his head resting in the crook of my neck.

"There's nowhere _to_ sit."

"What about under the clothes?"

"Boxes."

"What if I sat on your lap?"

"You're joking." I wanted to turn around and see his expression, but that seemed a little hard to do with such little space.

"Why would I? My legs hurt too."

He sighed. "Alright, but that would hurt my thighs. How about you just sit with your bottom and legs on the ground?"

I was in no position to turn down such an offer that I thought was a great idea since I'd be leaning over him. I didn't tell him that we could each just have our backs on opposite walls (which were less deep than the closet) and plunked down next to him, snuggling up. I will never know another person with a scent that good.

He laughed. "Well, you're being affectionate today."

"Shut up, I missed you."

He raised one of his eyebrows. "I was gone for less than twenty-four hours."

"Yeah, well…" I realized I had no good argument and that I didn't really care. "Yeah."

"So do you think the woman was talking about you?"

"I don't know. She could be talking about any of the other girls."

"But she said she couldn't sense the girl's soul and then walked right by us." I thought about it. I couldn't sense souls yet, but Grim could. I didn't think there was one thing I could do that Grim couldn't, but he was a Reaper like his dad, so that wasn't unrealistic.

After none of us had anything to say, I remembered what I'd been wondering for a while.

"What do souls taste like?"

"Well, they…" He thought for a moment. "I guess it's more the texture going down your throat that's that good part." I figured that I'd never understand.

We sat there for a few more minutes without talking, giving me time to reflect on how touchy Max was being. I mean, at the moment I hadn't been confused by it, but thinking about it later makes me feel dizzy wondering what it could mean. My first thought was that we were just getting close, but then another unwelcome thought pushed its way in.

_Yeah, we're close, but do friends do this? Don't… more than friends do this? Like, like-like, not like?_

_Wait. If _I'm _getting all touchy-feely too, then does that mean that I like him?_

The thought took a few moments to sink in, but then I started panicking on the inside. I turned my face so that Max couldn't see my expression and thought some more.

_This is bad. I shouldn't be freaking out unless I really _do_ like him!_

_Oh, God. What if things turn out like my mom and dad? Even worse, what if he doesn't think of me that way? I mean, maybe this is how brothers and sisters act. How would I know?_

"Samantha," Max hissed in my ear. I jumped.

"What?"

"Don't you hear that?"

All I could hear was my own startled and panicked heart beating loudly in the dark, tight area. As it slowed down I began to hear movement outside the door as another thought inched into my head, more grudgingly and agitated this time.

_Oh God, not again._

Then I heard voices… well, more like one voice—Ann Marie.

I restrained myself from throwing myself out the door and sat there for a second. After confirming that she wasn't begging for her life, I opened the door in my sitting position, having to lean over Max, and crawled over him noisily. When all sound ceased, I realized it may have been a bit too noisily.

Max sent me an _Are you kidding me? _look and transformed into a scythe in my hands. His thoughts immediately told me that I was being stupid again and not to rush into things like that. At his warnings to be cautious I stuck to the wall and crept slowly to the corner, trying to make as little noise as possible. I got to the end and realized that I should have gone to the other side so that I would be able to see what was going on when the air of air being sliced snapped me into action before I could do anything else.

Luckily these shuriken weren't heat-seeking like the chakram and I moved out of the way before it could hit its mark, the mark being my chest. Focusing in the way Mr. Stitch had told me to, I got a glimpse of three souls, one weapon and two meisters. I only got a glimpse, but one of them seemed really powerful. I took the chance to direct a hit at the powerful soul, but my attack was easily avoided. I spun around with Max raised before freezing at the familiar face I had attempted to chop to pieces a few seconds before.

"You know you're completely open with your weapon over your head, right?"

"Grim!" I tackled him as Max transformed back into his human form. To my surprise, Grim actually returned the hug, even if it wasn't nearly as forcefully as I had.

No sooner had I put my arms back at my side than the breath was knocked out of me and a pair of dainty hands had to keep me from falling. When I was bombarded by words from the voice I knew from heart I didn't even have to look to know who had rushed the air out of my lungs.

"Ohmygosh, you have no idea how worried I was! We heard some people saying that they couldn't find you or Max's souls so we were going to leave but then Grim said you might just be in a door and we had to break in and turn off the power and Megan and Heidi and Sage got caught and we _still _couldn't find you and then we found out you had a shield or something and that Max was probably with you and we were walking forever and I barely had a thing to talk about the whole time and I was so bored!" Sometimes I wonder how long she can hold her breath under water when she talks that much in one breath.

I didn't even try to shove her off of me as I turned around and realized the dainty hands from before belonged to Chris. I smiled at him and he just blushed as he took his hands off of my lower back. Somehow Ann Marie was still talking, so I guess even though she hadn't been able to think of much to say before she had everything in the world to say now.

"Samantha, are you even listening?"

"What? No."

"Now I have to start all over~," she whined. No matter how relieved I was to see her, I was not about to do that. I turned to Chris, but he just pointed at Grim; at least I knew that he'd give me a shorter version, but I wasn't used to hearing him talk, so I was unreasonably nervous.

"When we were heading for the power, we heard something we weren't supposed to about how you came in and got us out. Remember?" I nodded frantically. "You weren't supposed to be able to do that. Apparently your abilities you inherited are getting stronger. For example, they can't see your soul anymore, or anyone around you."

"So, why could you see me?"

"Because I'm a reaper."

"What were those black hands that dragged me away?"

His head tilted to the side slightly and his brows crinkled. "I remember it looking as if you were being dragged, but by what I couldn't see. I thought it was more of a force, not anything you could see."

"So are you guys on a rescue mission for the Sage, Heidi, and Megan?" Max asked, sounding a little annoyed at something.

"Yes," Chris said softly as he nodded.

"Well then let's go."

* * *

**Okay, so I was going to go with the shorter route to the end of the story faster, but then I realized that the relationships haven't gotten far enough so there's going to be this part where everything is really chill and fluffy and stuff. You know, not oh-my-god-action, more like oh-my-god-fluff like a part near the beginning.**

**I really hope my chapters aren't boring. Don't worry! Just one more chapter and then FLUFF PARADISE. Everyone likes fluff and I feel like I've been holding back for a while now. As you can tell, Samantha is realizing some things that she probably doesn't want to, but I can't really progress it when all these crazy things are happening and I just wish they would happen faster gosh. I ended the last chapter with the two girls because I felt like there had been barely any action for an action and yeah. But then I turn around and say here comes fluff paradise and yeah. I'm not a hypocrite, don't worry, I know a lot of them.**

**Please review! I mean, I'm not depending on it to write, but it would be nice, like if you work hard on something and then someone tells you you did good and yeah it's just a fuzzy feeling that I enjoy and praise is always nice. Like I said, not a hypocrite, I hand out good words when I can in reviews all the time.**

**I'll shut up. Thank you for reading.**


	18. Chapter 18: Metal and Flesh

**Boom.**

**Action is over.**

**Okay so I lied.**

**They're going to end up getting into more crazy messes but DON'T WORRY because there's gonna be a break. I mean, I could just end it, but then there wouldn't be any resolution to all this madness going on with Samantha would just be like for nothing. I realized that the word Samantha doesn't show up the whole time. Don't forget, the main character's name is Samantha.**

**Enjoy. I woke up at 2:30pm and have been writing since. At the time it is 6:39pm. You are welcome.**

**I understand if you think the beginning is boring, it was pretty boring to write, but there is fluff like 3/5 of the way in and then to the end. I didn't try very hard when I was writing the beginning because I didn't want to and I just really wanted to put a new chapter up today. I have no idea how this took me so long to write, I had part of it done already.**

**Oh yeah *awkward laugh* something else... Yeah, I sort of completely forgot about Sage in the last chapter. I realized and sort of panicked and now he's been taken along with Megan and Heidi. Oh yeah, if you've forgotten, everyone is just basically trying to escape and Samantha is starting to realize she might have feelings for Max.**

* * *

Even though we'd been walking before all this happened, Max and I started chasing after Grim, Ann Marie, and Chris who all knew where they were going. Ann Marie started panting first, then me, which was a little embarrassing. Soon enough we got to a point where Grim signaled for us to slow down at a corner. I had to try reasonably hard to keep my breath from being loud, but not as much as Ann Marie. I was looking around when I felt everyone's soul prodding mine and realized we were doing a group resonance. It took a big amount of concentration, but I got through the barrier and Grim didn't pause to give directions, which I realized he'd already given to everyone else.

_This is going to be quick. We're going to get in there, get Heidi, Megan, and Sage, and grab the device to make a portal again which I can reach through now that I know how to use it. There are going to be weapons and meisters, so don't waste any time sightseeing and catch them off guard. _

_They're right around the corner after this. I recommend weapons change now, _he told everyone, not just me like before.I caught Max as Chris caught Ann Marie in her dart mode. Through the link I could tell he was going to shoot down one before we would all charge in, and as many other lucky shots as he could fit in.

As we walked to the corner, I couldn't hear Grim's breathing anymore. Or his footsteps. Or even his clothes rustling as he moved. I felt really noisy compared to him. Even Chris' breathing was much lighter than I could pull off. I pulled back a little so that I wouldn't jeopardize our location. Grim shook his head like he knew what I was thinking, which he did, and took the hand I wasn't using to hold Max so that I was right behind him. I got this weird feeling from both him and Max, but when I asked them what was wrong they both blocked their thoughts from me. I wished I'd known how to do that.

When we got to the corner that was closer than I expected, Grim put me right behind him and made room for Chris to shoot. Positioning himself so that one knee was on the ground and his back to wall, Chris put the tip of Ann Marie around the corner. Ann Marie instantly gave a report.

_There's nine of them surrounding this big circular table in the middle stuck to the ground. They're all looking at the screens on the opposite wall or walking around with clipboards. A few of them are looking at Megan and Heidi who are trying to break out of a clear box. Sage is just sitting there in the corner. They look like they can't see anyone outside of the box. The nearest one is on this side of the circular table. _From the link I could tell that what she was talking about wasn't actually a table, but a large blue circle that looked as if it was elevated three feet from the rest of the ground. To the left wall were Megan and Heidi and across from us were the screens with computer codes on them.

Grim let go of my hand as Chris hovered Ann Marie over his mouth and put as little of his body around the corner as he could. Just as the woman in the white lab coat looked up he blew the dart at her sharply. Her folder clattered to the floor and her body turned into black ribbons and then disappeared, leaving behind a red soul. A man looking at the zeros and ones running across the screen turned around and saw the soul floating in the air.

With a flick of his wrist Grim sent a shuriken flying at the man's throat. The man avoided skillfully and it stuck to the wall behind him.

The jig was up. We all charged in, Ann Marie changing into a dagger. Slamming the top of Max on the ground, I propped myself up and flung myself in the direction of Megan and Heidi, kicking the side of one of the doctors in the head before landing and slicing through another doctor… almost. Soon enough it was just air. The familiar flash of white zoomed over to the hands of another male doctor, who held up the newly found gun and wasted no time in shooting at me from a few feet away. Luckily, these bullets were regular and not energy so that I could use Max to block them. One literally went through my hair and I decided I was pushing my luck as it was before running up and slicing through his shoulder.

_Behind you! _The voice came from Grim and Max at the same time, but I had barely turned ninety degrees when I saw a bullet aiming right at me get intercepted by a thick, hard-cover book that looked like a large dictionary Grim had thrown. The blast sent the book forward and it slid across the ground and hit the heels of my feet, since I'd turned around after seeing a shiruken lodge into his arm. There wasn't a single noise of discomfort that came from the keishan as it hit, and I realized the only reason Chris had killed the first one with one shot was because he was using Ann Marie so that it had magical energy. Grim, on the other hand, had regular weapons, seeing as his usual ones were currently locked up in a box.

I shot forward and skillfully blocked or avoided the bullets having one shameful breaking moment where I actually thanked Mr. Stitch for all the painful training he'd given us. I heard some fighting going on to my left and behind me, and I wanted to look to see how things were going. Even a poke at the connection between us would have told me all I wanted to know, but I had to focus on the opponent in front of me, because although I could tell I'd improved, I'd never had the chance to try it out in a real situation other than in the past hour. Maybe two hours before then was when all the fighting started. It was hard to believe that so much had happened in such a short time.

Only four enemies left, one of them being a weapon, by the time I had taken out my second opponent in the room. I'd been unfortunate enough to be hit by the side of a gun in the stomach, to which Max tensed, but I kept fighting. If anything, it would be sore, and there would be a bruise, and that would be it.

Grim was still having trouble with the keishan he saved me from. I almost helped him out, but then looked over to Chris who was on defense for two attackers, who luckily only had normal weapons. He was being backed up into a corner. Immediately taking out one of them from the back, I poked the other one that was trying to whip Chris with the pole of Max, catching her off guard. Chris knew what I was thinking and shot forward for the final blow the same moment Grim took out the weapon. I didn't know when he'd originally killed the meister, but Grim was far more advanced than I was, and I thought that it was safe to say the same thing about Chris and his relationship to Grim. I couldn't compare weapons to each other, but in my eyes Max would always be the strongest weapon.

I almost looked around as Chris broke the code for Megan and Heidi (I wasn't surprised to find out that he was the technical genius), but all it took was the time needed for someone to type in a well-used password they use all the time, and he had the same confidence as if it was. Unceremoniously, Grim told Chris and I to break the glass. I was a bit worried about their safety, seeing as glass would be falling on their heads, but everyone seemed to get out just fine, Megan and Heidi both jumping into Grim's arms. I smiled at that. Sage ran over and stood next to me, but he seemed more comfortable around everyone than before, and was standing next to me, not leaning into me or clinging to my arm, which was what I assumed to be a pretty big step for him.

"Why were those guys so easy to beat?" I'm no expert, but those girls I fought in the hallway were a lot harder.

"These people weren't trained for fighting," Grim answered. "They were trained for getting information on the enemy."

With that, Chris walked over to the control panels and started looking for something. When he did something to get the normal lights to come back on and not the red ones, he said it was okay for the weapons to go back into their normal forms. Max turned back, but our hands were still connected. I had no bad thoughts about it, so I didn't say anything, just tried not to think about my new conflicting feelings about him that had popped up when I almost kissed him in the janitor's closet or whatever it was. I was lucky that the connection had been broken between all of us or everyone would have found out what I was thinking.

In another couple of minutes Grim, using his soul wavelength and doing something to the remote thing that had gotten me there in the first place using the new instruments surrounding us, had gotten us back to where I'd been before I was teleported to that place. Letting out a giant sigh, I plopped down onto the waiting couch along with Max, who still hadn't let go of my hand, and Grim, which surprised me, because he seemed exhausted over something.

"What's wrong?"

"He used up a bunch of his energy getting us back here," Heidi replied for him in her cheery voice.

Sage was glancing around, as if he was looking to make sure someone wasn't there in the room with us. I could guess who he was looking for.

"Where are you going to go, Sage?" I wanted to offer our place, and I would if it came to that, but we didn't have much money as it was and he would have to sleep on the couch, which was too small for that. He'd slept on it before, but that was when I didn't like him too much.

"As much as I hate to say this," Mr. Stitch said, making me jump along with Sage. Luckily he was on the side away from Sage. "Sage will have to live in the school dungeon. He was, obviously, associated with the enemy at some point, and we can't let something like that slide, especially with the witches getting on our bad side all at once." Normally I'd have felt something close to anxiety and worry, but I think that I'd used all of my emotions up for that day. Even though I felt a bit guilty for not worrying about Sage, I was done at that time.

I looked over to Grim again, who looked ready to fall asleep. _He should get home and rest,_ I thought.

I _should get home and rest, _I thought as I waved goodbye and walked out with Max, putting emphasis on the "I". Since it was too gloomy for anyone to be walking around, we avoided some weird looks at Max's beaten condition, which I didn't notice we were avoiding. _I still feel like I'm absorbing the information from everything that's happened today. I mean, what time is it? _Looking up the clouds gave no hint as to the time, just some thunder coming from the distance that made me wonder If it was going to rain. Thinking about everything that had happened made me feel more and more exhausted, so by the time we'd walked home in comfortable silence I flopped down on the couch, not wanting to go to bed so that I could hang out with Max some more. He went to immediately take a shower and change clothes, which I was grateful for, since I'd been avoiding looking at him the whole way home or I'd see the blood. I'd been pretty sure he'd noticed.

Max really had been gone for less than twenty-four hours. Everything still smelled just like him, as if we'd come back from a day of school. After a minute of watching Max settle down and turn on the TV, I grabbed The Yearling off the table and started reading from where I'd left off.

Speaking of school, we had school the next day. I _really _did not want to go to school, but I guessed that having a taste of normal would be refreshing. I knew that I'd finished my essay almost a week before then, but I wasn't sure if Max had even started.

"Have you done your essay?" He didn't turn to look at me when I asked.

"I think I have a pretty good excuse."

I opened my mouth to say something, but closed it. Not caring was so tempting at the moment. For a few seconds I fought an inner battle, near the end of which Max turned to look at me questioningly. Finally, I turned back to my book. I knew that Mr. Stitch wouldn't care whether he had almost died or not, and if he did he wouldn't let it show, but I was once again reminded that I'd run out of emotions for my own situation. Diving into the emotions of others in a book was the best I could do at the moment.

I saw Max smirk out of the corner of my eye and turn back to the TV. It was a treat for me to let him off the hook like that, especially the day before it was due, which I was painfully aware of. I reminded myself that I didn't care and the feeling went away to the dark corner of the room where it could pace in the shadows.

Eventually I found myself having to reread more than a few paragraphs and gave up on reading entirely. Looking at Max, I noticed that he still had some faded marks on his face, and although Grim had worked his magic with the more serious injuries, the effects of whatever he did seemed to be wearing off. I thought about Max's poor state as I began collecting medical supplies from our cabinet in the bathroom. The blood on his shirt. The blood in his hair. It was gone now, part of it washed down the drain in the bathtub and the other lying in the laundry bag, but I flashed back to that moment where he was completely helpless, where he sat there and I was almost sure that I would have to watch, before everything went red.

My hand tightened on the plastic container of the alcohol wipes without me knowing. I was determined _not _to let that happen _ever again,_ to never see him in such a pathetic state. I remembered when he'd told me that he thought he wasn't ever going to see me again and that things would end in such a bad way, with such a bad goodbye.

Gritting my teeth, I carried my army of bandages and medical ooze over to the living room. I didn't pay any attention to our position as I straddled him.

He was forced to look up with wide eyes as I blocked the television from his view.

"What—"

"Shut up."

He realized I was in a dangerous mood and quickly closed his mouth. I was still fuming from the thoughts I'd been having, but it was just to drive out the sadness that was doing what resembled a cold seeping into my bones.

The television rattled off behind us as I worked on his face. There was a surprising amount of bruises, taking up less space after Grim worked on them. Part of his left cheek literally tore open from the power of a punch, as if it popped. Max hissed as I wiped at it with alcohol.

"That hurts!"

"It'd be weird if it didn't," I responded.

Finally I was done. Since I knew he'd think it would look stupid if he had bandages all over his face, I decided not to use any. My shoulders sagged as I looked over him again and realized that none of that had helped me, and probably him. Losing all drive, I fell off of him sideways and onto the part of the couch he wasn't sitting on, so that my legs were still sprawled across his lap.

"Did that make you feel better?" he asked, probably knowing exactly what I was thinking.

I scowled and didn't respond, simply shifting so that I was in a more comfortable position. That was enough of an answer for him. I felt him turn so that he was facing me and tried to hide my face behind my arms and hands.

"This wasn't your fault. You didn't let this happen."

I knew he wouldn't let me go unless I told him what I was thinking. "Yeah, but I should have avoided letting it happen in the first place. A meister isn't supposed to let something happen to their weapon."

"You've got that backwards. A weapon is supposed to protect their meister. We're the ones you block with, the ones made out of metal. Not the other way around."

I decided not to hold it in. Sitting up so that I was face to face with him and tucking my legs under me, I answered. "What about you as a person, then? You weren't made out of metal when he—" I stopped myself from going on. Tears were forming and I crossed my arms and turned away so that he wouldn't see. Unfortunately, my sniffle gave me away. Knowing this, I completely turned around so that I wasn't facing him.

"You think you're not important. You think that I don't care about you as much as I do. I would have done anything to switch places with you, but I had to see you like that. You don't know how that feels."

"Do you think this is a day in the park for me?" I almost told him obviously not, he got tortured, before he kept going. "How do you think it feels to watch someone tear themselves up over you? Or have you think that I care about myself more than you?"

"Why _do _you care? I'm no one important." I turned back around to face him, getting angry that he wasn't seeing my way, which was obviously right, not caring that I had tear stains and red eyes. "If I wasn't here, none of this would have happened. All of my friends wouldn't be in danger. You wouldn't have—you _cried _because of me! Doesn't that say something? I'm causing more harm than I'm fixing! I'm useless! The most I can do at this point is just leave!" I was panting lightly from shouting, which I hadn't had control over. I looked away and tried not to cry.

I was extremely surprised when his arms were wrapped around me in a desperate hold. Tensed up and eyes wide, I found my fingers twitching to wrap around him as well.

"Don't… don't say something like that. Don't scare me." His grip tightened. "Don't leave me."

Was he… shaking? I realized what I'd done and hugged him back just as tightly, letting the tears go. For the first time, they flowed out of my eyes without any sounds coming from me. I'd never had a sensation like that before where the tears felt like they were overflowing.

"I'm sorry," I whispered in his ear. What had I been thinking? It was obvious he cared about me. The fact was that I was there for him when no one else was and when he needed it the most. He'd lived in an orphanage, for God's sake, and I'd had no one to talk to. We were both there for each other when we needed it most. We'd both collapse if the other left, forced or otherwise.

We both seemed to be stapled to each other and ended up falling asleep on the couch like the first time when we'd just met each other. His embrace swallowed me up and his breath tickled my ear as I fell asleep next to the person I cared about most.

* * *

**If you haven't realized that Grim is starting to like Samantha then you're just as dense as Samantha and that's saying something. Or you're extremely innocent. Don't know how you can read fanfictions and be innocent, so. Yeah.**

**Off to do Rachel things that include lying in my bed and refusing to clean my room which my mother has told me to do four times ever since I've been writing the bold print.**

**Forcing myself to write this chapter was hard.**

**So how's summer been for ya? You know, if you have it yet. So far it's been twelve days since summer started for me and I've been pretty much wasting it unless my friend dragged me to the beach or forced me to skateboard with her. My mom would always, like, rejoice when I did something active, so I've been on a losing streak when it comes to staying home when they team up like that on me.**

**Okay I'm done talking. Review what you thought about it, and how many chapters should there be of fluff? I was thinking around five. If that's too much.**

**Five times. She's told me five times to pick up my room. And now one time to feed the dogs.**


End file.
